a wingnut with a Merkava needs help

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

Hello all:

I just picked up Revell Germany’s 1/72 Merkava III and have a couple of questions about it.

First, there are some decals that the instructions say go on the stowage basket on the back of the turret. the problem is the basket is molded as open grating parts so no solid surface to get a decal on and the decals in question have odd little scissor icons beside them and a dotted line around them. Does this mean these decals represent some sort of rigid signage that somehow attaches to the grating of the basket and I should be cutting the appropriate shapes out of sheet styrene and puting the decals on those before getting them on the tank?

If so, are those signs a permanent part of the tank or something that can be treated as totally optional?

As a wingnut, I’m not always sure what I’m looking at when I see an armored vehicle. Can any of you armor sorts that have built this kit tell me if there’s anything to watch out for in it, anything glaringly innacurate or out of place.

This is only my second armor model ever, but thats no reason not to get it generally right[8D]

Thanks in advance

2

I’ve got that kit and some info on it, but I’ll have to check first!

3

These markings are put on a small piece of sheet styrene. It is a tank tactical marking. In 1/35 scale, they are usually affixed to a small piece of tissue paper and tied to the railing for an early Merkava. A late Merk would have it on a piece of sheet metal.

4

Too late… Rob is just too knowledgeable! LOL

5

Thanks to both of you.

So are those tactical markings a removable feature that could be optional on a model or are they a full time feature?

I am building a Merkava from a training unit, would that make the use of such a feature different (more likely to be optional) than on a regular service version?

6

Here’s a good site with good detail pics of the Merkava III (thank Jeffl for the initial tip!)

http://idfmodelling.free.fr/merkava3.html