Just to prove I am still building models in Iraq, here is my latest. I just finished this up for a customer and will ship it off soon. It is an M60A3 TTS (Tank Thermal Sight) from 1-70 AR, 24ID in '83. It was the buyer’s tank.
I used the Tamiya M60A3 kit. I tweaked it by filling all the motorization holes, cutting mud relief holes in the sprockets, adding lift rings to the commander’s cuploa, drilling out the front towing points, replacing the tow pintle, and I added/changed a few other small items. Overall, its a pretty good kit. The road wheels are a little fiddly with the whole hub being the poly cap. They took some filling with gap-filling superglue to seal up the joints and make them look solid.
It is lightly weathered, which doesn’t show up well in the pics. I am also getting used to a new camera and lighting setup using a couple small desk lamps and a good ol’ Army brown towel on my desk here in Iraq.
Pretty good looking model…did the turret come with that texture on it? It looks like a real cast turret. Oh, and waht colors did you use for painting it?
Nice, nice build! I especially like the texturing on the turret. If it weren’t for the Army towel, I would’ve thought it was a real M60. Glad you’re able to “model” to pass the time. As if you aren’t busy enough, right?
Thanks all. The texturing is in the kit. It comes up well with the drybrushing and washes. For paint, I used Testors Model Master Sand (FS33531), a dark brown wash, a sandy wash, drybrush with a sandy-yellow color and a brown color, and finally, a drybrush of sand again to tone it all down and blend it in.
I do have some free time here, as most of you already know, modeling is a great way to relax and unwind. It helps keep me sane, sort of.
The customer is very happy with it. He said it looks exactly like his tank and brought back all sorts of great memories for him.
I hear ya about relaxing and unwinding. I wish I would’ve gotten back into it in the middle of 2002, early part of 2003 when I was deployed to Bosnia. I had a lot of time in the evening that I could’ve been building.
HeavyArty that is one GREAT looking M60A3!!![tup] Don’t usually see alot of tanks done with such light weathering, but it’s very nice to see that for a change.[:)]
Carves, It is washed, and drybrushed, etc. Like I said in the initial post, it doesn’t show up well in the pics. Also, I prefer light weathering, not tanks covered with rust and dirt. Real vehicles are not kept like that, so why model them like that? I don’t.
Gino, great looking model and a blast from the past! I trained on those at Fort Knox in the mid/late 80’s. Good to see you have some free time to unwind.
Looks great Gino! Kind of reminds me of my Ft. Hood days although I’m sure that those were A1 nothing fancy versions. Glad to see that you’re getting some time in and seem to be adjusting ok to your new surrounds.
Thanks. Glad you guys like it. Unfortunately, you can’t send or take sand home. I had thought of the same type thing w/a Bradley or Abrams on some actual Iraqi sand. Oh well.
Good luck on it. You have a good one there. The Italeri/Revell M60 series (ex-Esci molds) are the best M60 models out there. I have built a few over the years. I also used the hull for an M60A2 CBSS using the Tamiya turret. You can see it here.
