The Fruils for my StuG III WIP arrived yesterday so I’ve started assembling the RHS track run. Slow going but I want them looking perfect-it’s quite relaxing assembling them actually. Any tips on speeding up the process would be good but apart from pre-cutting the lengths of wire I’m not sure what else I can do?
I’ve searched the net for an answer to this question but the amount of conflicting information I’m getting is just frustrating! Obviously a lot of you guys use aftermarket kit-I’m a Fruil virgin so am pretty unsure as to the best way of painting them.
The StuG itself is pretty clean looking with a nice MIG Industrial City Dirt pigment coating on the upper hull. I would like the Tracks to look pretty clean, not muddy. I’ll give them a light pigment coating and will lightly file the raised contact areas but is there a ‘correct’ way of painting them? Do they need priming? Will Acrylic stick to them directly. Any info will be GREATLY appreciated chaps!
One quick question: I’d like to build a 'Nam armour piece to go and the M48 A3 would be just the ticket as it would sit perfectly with my Korean War marked M26 Pershing.
In 1/35 am I stuck with Tamiya. I can’t see a Dragon version-perhaps I’m not looking hard enough?
I can’t help with the Friuls, but as far as an M48A3 is concerned, the Tamiya kit is the only game in town. The kit does have some issues, worst of which is the ride height, because Tamiya measured up a “display” tank from which the engine pack had been removed, so it sits about 3mm too high on the suspension. It will also benefit from AM tracks.
I believe Gino has a fairly detailed list of tweaks for the kit.
I’m wondering if it has the ‘working’ TB suspension like the Pershing. I suppose a small chunk of heavy metal fixed inside the lower hull might make it sit down?
Tamiya it is then!
I’m off to work shortly (grumble) so please don’t think I’m being ignorant if I don’t answer any questions-I’ll be back by 11pm GMT. They don’t trust us with full internet access in my office as they are worried we’d be on Facebook all day. Well, I find that suggestion DISGRACEFUL [:@] I’d actually be on FSM Forums all day! [Y]
No, while the suspension arms are separate, they are glued in place. When the suspension is set to the correct height, the kit tracks will be too long, necessitating the removal of a link or two to restore tension, or replacement with AM tracks (plastic tracks available from AFV Club).
I can only tell you what has worked for me as far the fruils go. Here is what did on my Panther, pic below. After assembly I painted them nato black. You will have to go slow because it takes some time for the paint to adhere to the metal. I waited about 48 hours then did a heavy mist of flat earth, then a light misting of buff sprayed from about 8inches to a foot away from the tracks. Then I applied similar color pigments that I used on the tanks and moved them around and fixed them with turpenoid. I hope this helps.
Tamiya’s M48A3 is still the only, and best one out there. Here is the tweak list to improve upon it. Most are cosmetic fixes and you can choose how much or little to do to it. At a minumum, it needs replacement tracks.
Turret height should be increased by approx 1.5mm, which can be done by adding a sheet styrene shim, which can then be sanded to the turret’s shape.
Fill the motorization slots and holes on the model.
Three oval holes should be added to the drive sprockets at the 12, 4 and 8 o’clock positions, these are not present on the model, but were there in real life. Check reference pics for shape and location.
It’s worth considering replacing the fender stays with PE items or homemade efforts of very thin sheet styrene.
Rebuild the stowage basket from thin wire; it really improves the model.
Add casting numbers to the turret roof, rear hull, and engine access doors.
Glue mantlet in place and fill gap with milliput to represent the canvas cover.
Replace the cover, fixing clips with plastic strip and add bolt heads.
If shown opened, shave off loader’s hatch internal handle and latch mechanism, and replace with brass or plastic strip, rod and tube. Do the same for the external handle on the loader’s hatch.
Turret water jerry cans have incorrect style filling cap.
You could replace the molded on tie downs on the turret with brass items.
Use copper wire to add 3 lifting lugs to the commander’s cupola, at the 12, 4, and 8 o’clock positions.
Shave off and replace the hull stowage bin handles with plastic/brass strip.
Fill up the main turret site periscope, as well as the driver’s periscopes.
Add cast texture to the turret and hull.
Replace the awfully incorrect kit tracks with aftermarket ones. The AFV set is great, just make sure you get the correct one, they make two sets that they say can be used on the M48 and M60 tanks. One of them has octagonal shaped pads; the other has chevron shaped pads. The latter (chevron block) are the correct ones for a Vietnam era tank.
Suspension height correction. The Tamiya kit was based on a vehicle that did not have the engine installed, as such, it was lighter and rode high on its suspension. The kit is about 3mm too high. To fix it, cut the tabs off the road wheel arms and lower all the arms by 3mm. Each suspension arm damper should also have about 2.5mm removed, they are too long and also make the model sit a little too high. You may also have to remove a couple track blocks on each side to take the slack out of the track.
HeavyArty - thanks for the detailed insight, that lot will come in very handy!
I’ve been looking at Blacken-It for Fruils but it seems to be available in the US only plus after speaking with Lou from Armour Models who sells the Fruils here in England he seems to think the corrosive nature of Blacken-It will eventually end up eating the thin link wire thus the tracks will eventually fall apart!
…not sure about that tbh but as long as they will take AB’d XF then that’s fine.
