Pics of my latest builds - M5 Stuart, Priest and Maus

Modeling Subjects Armor
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Here are my latest completed AFV models.

(NOTE - to help out those with 56K connections, only the first image of each model is displayed. Click on the links to view the other images)

First is a 1/35 scale M5A1 Stuart, representing a US vehicle in northern France, 1944.
It’s built from the Tamiya kit (the only 1/35 M5/M5A1 kit AFAIK?) with plenty of additional stowage (from the spares box),
stowage tie-down ropes made from brass wire, and a commander figure originally from the Italeri M4A1 Sherman.
I also added the missing rivets on the rear hull sides; I may not be a “rivet counter” but it doesn’t look quite right without them, so I thought it was worth the effort of adding the rivets (they were sliced off one of the unwanted M3 Stuart parts included on one of the kit sprues).


http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/veh/m5a1_2.jpg
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/veh/m5a1_3.jpg
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/veh/m5a1_4.jpg
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/veh/m5a1_5.jpg

Painted with Tamiya acrylics, both the tank, the figure and the stowage items are weathered/drybrushed with artist’s acrylic paint.
Sorry the markings aren’t more original but I couldn’t find any other suitable ones in my decal spares folder.
Every other 1/35 M5A1 out there must be called “Victory”; oh, well!

Second is a 1/72 scale M7 Priest HMC. This is the Revell kit (reissue of the old Matchbox kit) built straight out of the box. Despite the sand background, the paint scheme actually represents a British Army vehicle based in Italy, early 1944. No crew figures (yet) as the ones supplied with the kit are in US uniform, so I need to find some suitable British ones.

It could probably also do with replacement pioneer tools (the moulded-on ones are terrible) and extra stowage, but it still looks good IMHO.


http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/veh/72priest2.jpg
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/veh/72priest3.jpg
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/veh/72priest4.jpg

Finally, a Maus which really is mouse-sized - it’s the Dragon 1/144 kit. It’s still larger than many small 1/72 AFVs though!
Again built “out of the box”. I didn’t use the PE engine grilles as there wasn’t really much point, the moulded ones seem to be just as good.
The paint scheme represents the one shown in some photos of the prototype vehicle.


http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/veh/144maus2.jpg
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/veh/144maus3.jpg

Currently I’m working on a Panther A (yes, that awful Tamiya kit!). I’ve added plenty of extra detail to it as well as side skirts and replacement tools/stowage. It’s currently base-coated with Dunkelgelb whilst I find a colour scheme for it.

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Nice solid work. I’ve always liked the M-5 kit. For an older kit, it’s pretty good other than the tracks they give with it. I’m alway impressed with 1/72, as with your M-7, nice paint scheme. I really like the camo on the Maus. The Red/Brown IMHO has a very good effect. Does not jump out at you.

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The Maus camo is just Tamiya “Red Brown” acrylic paint, applied using a semi-drybrushing
technique with a stiff brush. I brush-paint all of my models anyway, but the 1/144 Maus is probably
a bit small to airbrush in any case!

What exactly is wrong with the tracks on the M5, though? (apart from being single-piece vinyl rather than
independent). They look OK to me. There’s no “sag” but this wouldn’t really be visible anyway due to the side skirts.

Anyway, thanks for the comments.

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The end connectors on the tracks are molded on the end of the rubber pads. They should be “connecting” each pad with the other. I had not noticed this until someone showed me. I believe the Academy kit has it different. Look at M-3/M-5 pictures for track details. Still a great job.

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Some nice builds.

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Nice work, Drawde.
You’ve captured the look of the prototype Maus quite well.

The tracks on the Priest are on backwards, though. But heck, that happened in real life too, so no big whoop!

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Why didn’t I spot that? [B)] Thanks for pointing it out anyway :smiley:
Thankfully they’re just single-piece vinyl and not indy or “link and length” tracks, so it only took me a minute or so to remove them and put them back on the right way round.