Well my father in laws birthday is coming up, but I can’t build what I want to in time for his birthday so it will have to be for Christmas. He was in the Montana National Guard in the early to Mid 80’s, and he served aboard an M60 tank. Does anyone know which kit would replicate the ones they had appropriatly yet still have good fit? Also I am looking for the markings those tanks would have in general since he doesn’t remember anything about the specific tank her served on, he said he was on several, so general markings for a Montana NAtional guard M60 in that time frame would be acceptable.
I’d image he served on either the M60a1 or M60a3. Being mid-80’s and a National Guard unit, I say it was probably a M60a1, but that’s just a guess. Here’s a link to the different M60 kits available: http://www.primeportal.net/m-60_models.htm . Although, the link is missing the Italeri M60a1 which I think many consider the best M60 kit on the market today. Maybe your father-in-law can look at the pictures and remember which type he served on. As for the markings, I got no idea. Hope this helps some.
Jesse
Try Googleing Montana National Guard. If that comes up as a drt hole try contacting them for info. they will more than likely have the information that you seek. most units, have a historian, and they love to bragg, and show their prowess in their knowledge. After it is ony human nature.
I know many ARNG units still used the M48A5, M60(A-nothing) or M60A1 RISE/Passive during that period and most active Army units were still using the M60A3TTS. If he was in the Guard and on an M60 series tank, it was most likely an M60A1 RISE/Passive.
The best version for this would be the ex-Esci Italeri M60A1 (not the M60 Blazer).
I still have my old AOBC book that lists all the armor units. it would have been current for the 85-87 time frame and may list the unit you want to know about.
That would be the right time Frame, that is when he was getting out. My wife was born in 85(No I’m not that young, I was born in 78 I’m a cradle robber), and he was in the guards at the time she was born. Her little brother was born here in Oregon though, and he was born in 88. So it was between 85 and 88 when they moved here. I’ll see if I can find out which unit tonight when she calls her parents. She’s been doing it everyday for the past couple of weeks, sicne they live 400 miles away and it’s getting close to the end of the pregnancy. Yup that’s right, second little turd factory coming soon. Probably march 16th(which is the father in laws birthday incidently).
Well all he will say for unit is Montana National Guard, 163rd. Don’t know if tht helps or not, I’m not terrably familiar with it all. I knowmy grandfatehr was career in the 7th Cav, and the 7th Cav was supposed to be Custer regiment, but thats about it.
The 163rd began as an Infantry Regiment and then became an Armored Cavalry Regiment that was redesignated as an Armored Brigade in 1989: http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Armored/163d%20Armored%20Brigade.htm
http://www.pbase.com/sfce7/image/43161563
I’ll have to dig out my book, but most likely they had M60 or M60A1 tanks in the 80s.
Putting that insignia on the base will do really nicely. That’s GREAT man, thanks.
Do a little research here on the site for Heavy Arty’s advice about the M60 models available–I seem to remember him saying that they sit too high, and need to be lowered in the suspension arms by a couple of millimeters in order to “sit” right.
That’s a concern if you build the Tamiya or Academy versions. If you build the ex-Esci/Italeri/Revell kit, it does not need the height adjustment and is a pretty decent kit overall.
Cradle robbing is when you are a '56 model and your wife’s a '78. [;)]
Hi fantacmet,
A word re the Esci M60. I heard it’s the best around and picked one up accordingly on eBay, but I would draw your attention to the article in Xtreme Modelling #4 in which this kit served as the basis for an M60 of the Austrian Army, circa 1960s IIRC. The writer described flash, heavy seams, lots of filling and sanding, and then went on to give just the highlights from a 1.5 page list of detail shortcomings, many of which are “real nasty” to overcome. I believe the width of the tracks relative to the hull is out by milimetres, for instance. The final buildup looked tremendous but it took heaps of research and a lot of elbowgrease. From what perspective this counts as the best M60 kit around I’m not sure, as both ease of building and detail specifics seem to be way wide of the mark.
Oh, and as a '63 model, I should be so lucky as to be a cradle-robber![:)]
Cheers,
TB379
I have seen decal paper for laser printers. (does anyone know if that stuff works?)
You could get some of that, print those logos to scale, and get them on the tank.
He must have gotten a poor copy, I’ve got all the ones issued by Esci, AMT, Revell and Italeri. Not one has any amount of flash. They don’t build up as easily as the Tamiya ones, but they do come out nicely OOB.
Hi again,
Yes, the laser decal paper works. I used the Experts’ Choice paper for a job a few months ago to create custom stencil data and it worked a treat. Caution, though – I also used their white paper for colour decals, through two different printers, and neither worked. The inks would dissolve before the decals would free from the backing paper, in fact some never did no matter how long they were soaked or what temp water. The company said it was probably an incompatibility between their paper and my printers.
TB379
Regarding the printer decal paper there is an easy solution. Testors Glosscoat. It works great. I tried a varnish once and the results were less then stellar. I’ve also tried testors glosscoat and future. Future worked so so, but the glosscoat works great. The varnish made the decal film really stick to the backing, and also made it stretch real easy. Just a thin coat of glosscoat let it dry for a couple of days and done. I have some decals I did on clear paper for a model car I’d be happy to post pics.
Regarding the M60 I just want to make sure it’s the right tank. I know the father in law, and what he is concerned with. He would have pause if he served on an A1 and I build him an A3. On the other hand if he served on an A1 and I built him an A1 that didn’t have perfect details, he wouldn’t care. As for the insignia on the base, I plan to use photo paper, and spray adhesive, and then use a uerethane over the whole thing. Then attach the model, and then the nameplate.
The nameplate I will be using photo paper in my laser printer, and then reversing the image before print. Then I will use an iron on high enough heat, to transfer the design to the brass nameplate, then drop it in etchant. Once it’s etched about halfway down I’ll put it, runn it under some water, then remove baked on toner with some light grit sandpaper, and then polish it up. The reverse image thing with the photo paper and an iron works great. Yer just reheating the toner and transferring it to another meterial. It may take a few tries to get it transferred to an acceptable opacity, but you get better with practice.
So which M60 is it I need to buy?
Testor Glosscoat? I’ll give it a try! (Spray application, or brush on?) The manufacturers recommended Microscale Liquid Decal Film, which worked great on the clear/laser paper, but the white/inkjet paper was a bear.
Cheers,
TB379
If he rode an M60A1, then the Italeri kit #6397 M60A1, which was originally the Esci kit #5039. The more common Italeri M60 Blazer (#6391) will not build into a US tank OOB.
If Tamiya is the one you find, the USMC M60A1 w/ERA can be built into an M60A1 RISE/Passive without the ERA.
I think there was an M-60 by Tamiya many years ago and it was alright. This is the one with the 105mm gun with a cupola in the turret. I have one in my cabinet , I will check if it really is a Tamiya.
Thunder the standard psraycan stuff. Goes on real thin.
What I am trying to figure out is which one he would have been on.
Again, he would have been on an M60A1 or an M60 (aka Slick 60 or M60 A-nothing). If he was on a Slick 60, there isn’t a tank model of it OOB, but there are several resin Slick 60 turrets available (Chesapeake Model Designs comes to mind, very nice). If you ask him if he was on a Slick 60 or A1, he’d probably tell you.
My educated guess is it was an M60A1.