Good day everyone and welcome once again to my Armor Factory! Today we get to watch as the 1/72 scale Israeli Merkava makes it’s way down the assembly line! [8D]
Here is the Merkava’s lower hull, ready for the individual track links; sitting next to the almost completed turret:
I still need to mount the machine guns on the turret, but that will happen last so to reduce the chance and frequency of breakage.
Next, we see the test fit of the turret, upper hull and lower hulls together after the track links had been installed. She’s looking pretty fine here:
Now we see the lower hull after the tracks and wheels have been painted. The upper hull has just been cemented to the lower hull.
In this view, the turret has been painted and mounted on the hull assembly. All the other parts that fit on the hull are also mounted as well. She’s ready for her basecoat!
Here she is with her basecoat on, and some of the details started. Soon she’ll be ready for her Clearcoat and decals!
And that concludes our tour for today. Er, what’s this? Oh! I guess the crew is getting ready for a small project to do next:
Hmmm, a 1/72 scale Russian 57mm Anti-tank gun with a no.11 blade showing size reference. This should be quick! Hey, it looks like it has already been started! (Real rubber tires! Oh my!) [:0]
I’m planning on building a Merkava for my next project. I have built one small motorized one [I believe it is 1/48 scale] and a couple other small scale tanks as practice. I want to build one in 1/35. What company is this one from?
Duke, this looks good, as usual…! I’m just completing my Merk III too, but still have lots to do on my diorama. Don’t you think this Revell kit is the easiest AFV build ever??!
Duke,
Nice build! I think the Merk is probably my favorite tank of all time, and thanks to you, you’ve just provided some inspiration to start another one–maybe the 1/35 Academy Merk II with mine plow. Just a couple questions: Where’s the exhaust louver that fits in the hole on the right side just above the tracks?, and is the shot trap under the rear turret a kit thing (styrene? white metal? resin?), or did you scratch it? Keep up the great work…
The exhaust louvre is on the other side, I apologize for not turning the kit around. [V] I’ll remedy that in my next series of pics. In the above pic, I hadn’t gotten to the point of attaching it when that pic was taken.
The shot traps below the rear of the turret are styrene, molded by Revell/Germany. They were a challenge to remove from the sprues, but went on easy! [^]
YES! [:0] This is going together so smoothly, I have to keep checking to see if I forgot anything, or bypassed a step! It truly feels weird to be able to just build a model, and not be fixing or modifying it along the way! [:D]
MGM, this is the Revell/Germany 1/72 scale Merkava III.
Actually it is coming up within a week or so. I’ve got a 1/72 scale PST T-55 that I’ll be painting in either Egyptian or Syrian colors, but marking with Israeli decals to simulate a captured T-55 before it gets modified to Ti-67. I’ve also started a 1/72 scale PST T-54 for my Russians, and a 1/72 scale Revell/Germany T-80 BV with Reactive Armor.
I’m also toying with the idea of starting my 1/72 scale Revell/Germany Warrior AFV as well. Thene there are the two Russian guns I’m building, the 57mm Anti Tank gun, (seen above) and an M30 152mm howitzer.
Yes, the factory is in full production, and things are moving along!
You mean the 1/16 Merkava?
Noooo no no no! I wish I could take credit for that beaut, but it’s not mine. Just a pic from last year’s Shizuoka Hobby Show. I should have made that more clear.
