Here’s a fun project I finished recently. A 1/6 scale M5A1 Stuart light tank of the 3rd Armored Division at the time of the fighting during the crossing of the River Vire near Saint-Fromond, France, 7 July 1944.
This took 2573 hours spread over 4 1/2 years, and the model has 10,960 parts in it. Fully R/C with lighting, but scale accuracy took priority over any operational parts.
I’ve written a book on the build for Schiffer Publishing which will be out within the next year and if any of you happen to pick it up I’d be interested in any comments you might have.
I’ll have the model in Omaha at the IPMS/USA Nationals and if any of you are attending please stop by and say hello. [:)]
Bob: will we be able to see it in Auburn next April at the AMPS convention? Please say yes. Also, I would imagine that it will be an article featured in a magazine somewhere? If so, when will it come out?
Thanks for all the kind words, gentlemen; I appreciate it very much! [:)] I take my research and modeling fairly seriously, but try never to take myself seriously, so I’m a little embarrassed by all this praise, but thanks very much! [:$]
For Wirraway, yes, 1/6 scale is the same as all the GI Joe and other action figures.
For Roy, (my favorite AMPS VP) yes, indeed. I’ll be there in Auburn next year. I can drive the tank there, but Fredricksburg is a bit too far from Minneapolis. If you’re attending the IPMS Nats in Omaha perhaps we can quaff an ale or two together and discuss homogenized armor, or somesuch. (grin)
For Disastermaster, not only are you lavish in your praise, very computer-literate, humorous, but you’re no mean modeler in your own right. Your German E-armor is anything but a disaster!
Holy Cow!! I am planning to be at Omaha this year and I will be sure to spend some time drooling over this one. Is the the R/C kit that Walmart sold some years ago? If so, I had one for a while! You’ve done an outstanding job on every square inch of this big little beast! Amazing amazing work!
I’d guess about 60%-70% of the model is scratch-built, including the working turret spotlight lathed out of brass rod. The semi-human fingers grasping the light give some indication of scale. [:O]
Even though this was a fun build, there were times when I wanted to beat my head against the wall. [bnghead] For instance, here we see two human hands attempting to attach a heavy turret to a heavier hull while it trails a spaghetti-like wiring bundle unseen behind, all while three (or four) hands are really needed.
