It’s been a while since I did a WIP here, so I thought I’d throw this one in. It’s a kit bash using the old MP Models M50 (late) on the M4A4 hull and Dragon’s M4A3E8(105) to get the lower hull, suspension and detail bits. The main ingredients:
I’ll also have the Dragon turret to finish this, which has been languishing on the shelf for a couple of years:
What a deal! Two kits out of the stash, and parts to finish a hanger queen, all in one shot. So, pics of the hull so far, with the engine access doors from an Acad M51 in place and some weld detail added.
Then, I couldn’t decide on an early hull or a late one, so I popped a Tamiya M4 early hull top on, and it fit as well as Dragon’s. Gotta love interchangability of parts. Pics:
Tamiya,
And Dragon:
I’m doing a Six Day War timeframe M50, so either hull would be appropriate. I’ll have to scratch the engine deck, but everything else is in the MP kit or my spares.
Thanks for looking, as always. If you see something, sing out, I’d appreciate it.
I’m using the MP turret, a 105 high-bustle type, but it appears to have meen mastered without the cast cheek armor. I added that from Aves putty, and built up the manlet cover with the same. Geting the turret halves fitted together meant that I lost some of the good weld and texture detail, so I’ve put that back with plastic half-round and Mr Surfacer. I still need to add the pistol port and the turret basics are handled. Then
I can get into the manlet cover retainer and other fiddly bits.
The pics:
This is my favorite kind of modeling, I can’t help it…
Texture is on, including around the Acad. pistol port and cheek armor. I also beefed up the area under the commander’s cupola to more accurately represent a late turret. I had to re-do the mantlet cover, the Avew hadn’t hardened fully, probably due to the age of the putty. I re-did it in Milliput. Matlet retainers are done, and the main sight cover swapped out for a Tamiya part, much cleaned than MP’s.After two unsuccessful attempts at the bustle grab rail, I did just the supports this morning, and will hit the LHS for more rod.
Most of the kit makers are co-operating with me, or that’s my theory anyway. The Tamiya upper hull fits almost exactly on the Dragon lower, so maybe somebody had me in mind?
Well, okay probably not, but it’s tooooo easy.
I does make me feel a little bit like the people in the re-build processfor these things (M50s) might have felt, with all the mixing and matching of parts going on, and how well they all went together.
Well, I don’t know what happened to P-bucket, all my pics went away. Hmm…
Anyway, where I am now. I got the suspension together and on the hull, the final drive width corrected, and did the radiator exhaust under the hull rear. The turret bustle rail is also finished. If I ever decide to use Dragon’s HVSS suspension again, slap me.
Pics:
I’m using most of the MP engine deck, having to back-date it and shorten it, but almost done there. The rest of it is detail parts, pretty much.
Making a nice job of this one Russ! I haven’t tried to build a DML HVSS suspension before…what makes them so nerve racking you’d resort to preemptive slapping? [:D]
Bill, each bogie has (I think) 26 parts. Assembly of the sub-assemblies requires at least three hands, something I don’t posess… some would call it needless over-engineering. I like the Tamiya bogies, 8 parts and they look good.
Johan, thank you. Here’s where I am now.
I got the engine deck pretty well finished, with the exception of the welds at the base of the outboard intake splinter shields. The deck is MP (dark green) and plastic card stock. The intake covers will be one Italeri M4A1 part, cut in half like the real thing.
BUT that part is over, and I’m back to the fun stuff. More on the engine deck, rear plate, front of hull. I’ll probably start the hull side stowage and fenders tomorrow. Anyway, the pics:
All the jerry can holders on the sides will be fun…
So before I can do the stuff that mounts on and above the fenders, I had to do the fenders. Hmmmm.
I’m not a big fan of brass, especially large pieces. I also have yet to buy something like an etch-mate, which would be wise of me. So, my tools:
And the fenders:
Braces are located using the SWAG method, since I couldn’t find pics of two tanks with them in the same place. Based on the MP box pic and the M51 I just finished, it outta work.
WOW, man—you’re KILLING this build in a good way, Russ!
I remember that old MP kit–it’s a great kit! I built it years ago, into a light blue Arab M51. I built it OOB though–nowhere near the work you’re putting into this build!
I won’t post a pic in your thread, but here’s the link to the image if you want to check it out. [:)]
