Hey guys. Went to Hobby Lobby and picked up the M48. Just wondering if you guys know of any pitfalls with this kit to look out for. Thanks.
Great kit. One of Tamiya’s early bests. I have heard that it sits about 3 scale inches too high. Lowering the road wheel arms by about 4 mm is the fix. I have one straight from the box and it looks great.
I does build into a nice kit. The Tamiya chevron pattern tracks have the center guides (guide teeth) on the middle of a track block and not straddling two adjacent blocks.
If you use the shark teeth, I’ve never been able to get the two decal halves to meet without a gap. Paint the seam red to cover up the gap prior to applying the decal (if you make this variant).
Thanks guys. I will keep all that in mind. Should probably finish my LAV-25 before I open the Patton!!
I agree this is one of Tamiya’s better offerings from the 80s. The suggestion regarding the suspension is correct also. I get the feeling Tamiya took its measurements for the kit from a tank without anything in it… including the engine! That’s the only thing I can think of for the suspension being so high. Also you need to fill the gap between the gun mantlet and the turret. They give you a nicely molded covered mantlet, but you need to fill that space. I have used facial tissue moistened with diluted white glue to make this cover. It’s a little tricky but it looks good. You could also use Miliput to sculpt the cover as well; this takes more time. Either way you end up with a gun that won’t move, so be sure you have it posed the way you want it to stay.