Sgt.Squarehead Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 In an attempt to break my recent rather poor run in GBs, I'm going for something simple: Revell repop of the ESCI 1/72 M48, upgraded with OKB Grigorov running gear and possibly some etch. My references & aftermarket resources for post-WWII AFVs are virtually non-existant, so any help with details and advice on potential sources for suitable decals would be very welcome. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Hi Sarge. Good to see you here. Looking forward to seeing this one in progress. Kind regards, Stix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Mecmodels do some, but I've no personal experience of the company: http://www.mecmodels.com/wordpress/?product_cat=decals-1-72 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 Cheers PC, they look spot on. I'm about to don my new eyewear (can you say coke-bottle) and cut plastic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 ESCI's problem & OKB's solution: While this kit features ESCI's (revolutionary when it was first released) L&L track, they vastly oversimplified the running gear.....The OKB set puts that right and also includes some rather more up to date L&L (ie: with detail on both surfaces). The OKB parts are not quite perfect and each one requires some sort of minor fettling, but the finished running gear should be significantly better looking (& infinitely more accurate) than what might be achieved OOTB. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 Eeeep.....Just realised I wasn't supposed to start yet! I'm now bagging up the bits until 5th September. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) Hi Sarge It's not a bad kit at all. Built one myself a few years back and added the legends sandbag and stowage set. There are some good walkarounds on the net of M48 Pattons. From memory I only added the mud guard extensions that fit on the inside edge of the rear fenders from lead foil curved to fit. Many M48s had the 50cal removed from the commanders cupola and mounted outside the tank on locally made mounts to give it a better field of fire. I used a spare dragon one and drilled out the hole in the cupola. Spare track links were often mounted on the turret handrails. If you can find a copy of squadron signals armor in Vietnam it's a useful reference guide. Hope this helps Ben Edited August 31, 2015 by badger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blitz23 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Looking forward to seeing this built up, great choice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper_city Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Nice Patton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 Cheers guys your help and enthusiasm is much appreciated.....This and a (truly terrifying) ACE Type 59 are my first 'modern' (ie: post-WWII) builds in twenty years. The eyewear seems to be doing the trick.....At least I can see my mistakes now! Thanks for the heads up about the .50cal.....I've got a few (five) of Eduard's insane 17 piece versions, it's about time I manned up and built one and as this is a display model, I reckon it deserves it. I think I will pick up a PE set and maybe some figures for this build too. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 Great subject Sarge,I,m with you on keeping it simple,172/6 scale for me too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 Hi Sarge Haven't found much in the way of crew figures for 1/72 vietnam tanks. Best I could find was SHQ minatures who do a small range. Hope that helps Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 Hi Sarge Resin bits posted today first class. Hope they will be of use Ben 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share Posted September 9, 2015 OK, back to it.....With Ben's help (Cheers Dude! ) I now know rather more about the Patton, so I've ammended my build to become a late production M48A3, the type most commonly seen in Vietnam. I'm now not sure whether this will be a USMC or US Army vehicle, much depends on the availability of decals. Coiincidentally OKB Grigorov have just released an etch set for this kit so I shall endeavour to get hold of one as it will help tremendously with finicky details like light-guards and so on. Current work involves building more bogies.....Will add pictures in due course (back to reading, fettling and glueing). 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper_city Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Etch light guards in 1:72. Rather you then me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share Posted September 9, 2015 While reading and fettling I found this: "On the night of 3 March 1969, the Ben Het Special Forces camp was attacked by a dozen PAVN PT-76PBs and an equal number of BTR-60PK APCs. The North Vietnamese armor was repulsed by a platoon of M-48s from the 1st Battalion, 69th Armor. This was the only occasion when American tanks engaged the North Vietnamese armor. This PT-76PB was one of the two found abandoned outside the perimeter of the outpost. This vehicle had all tactical markings and code numbers removed to hide the true identity of the unit to US intelligence." As it happens, I've got a PST 1/72 PT-76 in the stash. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 I found the OKB running gear set a bit fiddly but the improvement over the kits double thickness wheels is worth a little pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 While reading and fettling I found this: "On the night of 3 March 1969, the Ben Het Special Forces camp was attacked by a dozen PAVN PT-76PBs and an equal number of BTR-60PK APCs. The North Vietnamese armor was repulsed by a platoon of M-48s from the 1st Battalion, 69th Armor. This was the only occasion when American tanks engaged the North Vietnamese armor. This PT-76PB was one of the two found abandoned outside the perimeter of the outpost. This vehicle had all tactical markings and code numbers removed to hide the true identity of the unit to US intelligence." As it happens, I've got a PST 1/72 PT-76 in the stash. Has to be done!!! A US M48 and infantry moving past an abandoned PT-76 sounds like a winning diorama idea to me! Check out SHQ minatures for figures 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share Posted September 9, 2015 I found the OKB running gear set a bit fiddly but the improvement over the kits double thickness wheels is worth a little pain. I was surprised at how much you need to hack each part around before use.....But as you say, streets ahead of the kit parts. I've found pictures of one of the KOed PT-76s.....It's sustained significant damage from rolling over a mine and also a 90mm HEAT round to the engine compartment, possibly beyond my ability to model realistically. However a pair of unique adversaries might make an interesting subject in themselves and the markings for the PT-76 will at least be cheap and easy to accquire (for a change). More research indicates the M48s involved in the fighting at Ben Het belonged to B-Company, 1st Battalion, 69th Armoured.....The fourth decal option on this sheet appears to have that covered: http://www.mecmodels.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/DE-TA01-OVERZICHT.jpg I love it when a plan comes together! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted September 10, 2015 Author Share Posted September 10, 2015 Fettling continues: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted September 10, 2015 Author Share Posted September 10, 2015 Fettled: Next up.....Ten shiny new return rollers. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Looking good!!! When I did mine I had a bear of a job trying to get the suspension arms and road wheels to sit flat and level. I ended up putting the hull on a lump of blu-tack and squashing it down to the right height then attached the first and last road wheel making sure they were level. I then used the edge of a ruler to line up the others. I used superglue to fit the suspension arms to the hull as it dries quickly. I found revell contacta dried too slowly and the weight of the wheels pulled them out of line. Hope my waffling helps. Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted September 10, 2015 Author Share Posted September 10, 2015 Cheers Ben.....Your input is always appreciated, I suspect I'll follow a pretty similar prodedure, the OKB parts look nice but the fit is very hit & miss. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 That's a lot of fettling wheels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted September 10, 2015 Author Share Posted September 10, 2015 I've hit a major snag. The kit doesn't actually have the parts for an M48A3, it has parts for an M48A2, M48A2C & M48A5, I was hoping I could wing it using parts from the latter, but a couple of parts are significantly different. I suspect I can find an aftermarket set, but it might take a year to get here. Or I could scratch the needed parts, the engine filters are simple enough to make from the M48A5 parts, but the cupola riser is a completely different matter. Optionally I can change plan and build an M48A2 or M48A2C, but I have to decide what I'm going to do before I assemble the running gear as it's one of the differences between the types. To complicate matters further, all of the decal sets I've found so far are for M48A3s despite there being no 1/72 M48A3 kit currently available to apply them to!. Shermans are so much simpler! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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