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Yet another go around for an old warhorse...the Italeri M47


Asmodai

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So, here we are. I'm not ready after more than a year of waiting. No point in having an extensive discussion of the Italeri M47 kit here; it is almost as old as I am, and has been around the block a few times. That said, it holds up well compared to any other armor kit from the 70s, and is still a good model today. Someone at Italeri poured a lot of love 💓 into this model box then, and it still shows. Here's a look at just a few of the boxings of it out there through the years.

 IMG_5461_zpsh4rc63xo.jpg

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Meanwhile, I decided to get a bit of a start, so that maybe, just maybe, I can finish on time before this group is locked up. I added the running gear to the lower hull. Fit was good still. Sad about all that green plastic, though 😥. Makes it tough to paint over. I've seen a lot of these kits over the years, but all in green plastic, ranging from Olive Drab to Dark Green. Funny note if you check the lower hull - besides the accurate maintenance accesses and escape hatches, it has a company mark with the vowel jungle 'ITALAEREI' as they were known then :), before dropping a few vowels. 

IMG_5463_zpsea8qerrq.jpg

 

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22 minutes ago, Plasto said:

Ah an oldie but a goodie...

 

No chance it will be a king Tiger from Battle of the Bulge???

Would be interesting, but even with three months, I have to keep it simple with my glacial level of build, and short supply of motivation. I'd been considering this display vehicle at Camp Roberts, California. http://www.toadmanstankpictures.com/m47.htm

It seems to be the in the US markings from the Italeri kit, noted as the '143rd Tank Battalion'. But the vehicle looks repainted, and I'm not entirely certain someone did not just copy the Italeri kit for their paint job! That wouldn't be a first for museums, and there seems to be very little other info out there about this vehicle, or the museum there. 

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These older kits can often be transformed into magnificent models. Looking forward to seeing what you do with this one.

Kind regards,

Stix 

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Been going over the pictures on Toadman's page. The M47 there seems to be an early vehicle that saw brief US service before being idled. Has the early cylindrical muzzle brake, and the track tensioning wheel between the last road wheel and drive sprocket. These were often removed the longer a vehicle was in service; they proved unnecessary and were just a maintenance hassle. Some early M48s had these too, before disappearing there, also.

 

As one would expect, a lot of the small external fittings are missing, like the tools. .50 is gone, and the bow .30 is missing and the opening plugged. Something is sticking out of the coaxial .30 spot, broomstick? We won't get into an Olive Drab shade and when it should be first applied, but this vehicle looks to have been repainted for display in a fairly light olive color, more like WW2 OD green, than the dark color of the Vietnam era prior to the arrival of the MERDC colors. No mantlet cover, either, LOL. Muffler guard covers missing as well. 

 

 

Edited by Asmodai
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16 hours ago, Hewy said:

Still a well reviewed, but old kit, any am, or tracks

Sadly, I am a slow modeler, rather than a good one. I considered some aftermarket, but given my build pace and some other personal issues, I'd likely never finish in the three months with any significant add ons. The tracks included are about as good as it gets for rubber band belt types; they have the end connectors in the right place, and guide teeth. Which is more than many Tamiya kits of that vintage can claim!

 

That said, I think I am going to err on the side of caution, and probably build out of box, and limit myself to trying to replicate the vehicle in Toadman's pics with the kit and a decent weathering job. That will likely make my build log unpopular, but if I was here for popularity, I'd have quit a long time ago. Thanks. 

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7 minutes ago, Asmodai said:

That will likely make my build log unpopular

How so ? The 47 is my favorite version of the Patton series. If you're thinking the weathered and faded look ? Which one of hasn't been to a museum or memorial that doesn't take care of its charges ? I have a build planned to use a really poor kit as a gutted and weathered aircraft at AMARC. So a weathered tank is not really an issue. 

 

Dennis

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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1 hour ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

How so ? The 47 is my favorite version of the Patton series. If you're thinking the weathered and faded look ? Which one of hasn't been to a museum or memorial that doesn't take care of its charges ? I have a build planned to use a really poor kit as a gutted and weathered aircraft at AMARC. So a weathered tank is not really an issue. 

 

Dennis

I think it is a general truth that most magazine, or online builds these days tend to feature as much aftermarket as possible. That's fine; someone else's model after all. But it's not really my goal, or feasible for me in this build. Know your limitations, and all that. So it puts it out of the 'mainstream', I feel. 

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17 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

I only use the A/m myself if i can afford it. That or i get the kit 2nd hand and its already in the box. 

It can be definitely pricey. I'm limited mostly by time and lack of skill, though. Meanwhile, I have about another 700 pages or so of the M47 tech manual to look through still. How wonderful is it you can buy a copy of something like this online for $3 for your e-reader? In the old days, you'd have to get lucky at your local army-navy store, or mail order from a specialist bookseller, if you could find one that had it...

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A very brief update as we go 'live' here. Let the frenzied sticking of bits begin! As I said before, my vehicle seems to have been repainted, and a pretty light shade of green at that. Looks more similar to a WW2 Olive Drab than any of the post Korea colors. So I've decided to go with Scale75 American Olive from their WarFront range. I hope to be spraying the wheels so I can get them going, along with doing some more assembly this weekend.

 

Most plastic modelers are probably unfamiliar with Scale75, a Spanish company that is better known among miniature and gaming fans for their paints and figures. They do produce the WarFront range of colors also, that has WW2 vehicle colors in it, though. And I am a fan of their paints in particular, acrylics that are super flat, and can be brushed and airbrushed. Just have to be careful with all lighter green vehicles after you've painted them - Olive Drab and such colors are very prone to picking up finger oils, so handle with care after painting! 

 

IMG_5477_zpso8ouwhj9.jpg

 

 

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Don't worry about not having AM in your build thread. A build thread is only as good as the socializing that goes on on it. That's why it's a GROUP build. Sometimes (mostly on other forums) people are so dead serious on their threads and everything is dry and super technical and super boring. 

 

Those threads suck, no matter how good the model.

 

 

So stay loose and keep showing this great kit as it takes shape.

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10 hours ago, SoftScience said:

people are so dead serious on their threads and everything is dry and super technical and super boring. 

I admit that I tend to this but make up with it by being silly in real life :D.

 

A couple of years ago at the RAF Museum Cosford show (IIRC) there were two models that I was taken with a large scale HMS Dreadnaught scratch-built at a cost of about 30GBP using scrap materials from work and the like. The other was a Starfighter that the builder reckoned had cost 200GBP plus the kit. Different strokes for different folks.

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6 hours ago, SleeperService said:

I admit that I tend to this but make up with it by being silly in real life :D.

 

A couple of years ago at the RAF Museum Cosford show (IIRC) there were two models that I was taken with a large scale HMS Dreadnaught scratch-built at a cost of about 30GBP using scrap materials from work and the like. The other was a Starfighter that the builder reckoned had cost 200GBP plus the kit. Different strokes for different folks.

Mine are dry and technical too. And they suck and nobody comments on them. Don't be like me :D

 

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It's time for an end of the first weekend update. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to force myself to break out the respirator and airbrush over the weekend. I did get the hull parts assembled, and start sticking the larger pieces on, at least. You get bonus points if you can spot the part from another boxing of this kit - it shouldn't be too tough 😎. I have almost that entire other kit that is unbuildable thanks to the missing and duplicated sprues in it. Ah, the joys of a well stocked spares box....

IMG_5485_zps6mssdmfj.jpg

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40 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

:bounce: OOOH OOOH ... Is it the grill !!!😉 Yes sadly you now have a huge surplus parts supply for M47’s. 

Yeah, I nipped a few hinge pins off of the one olive drab engine grille by accident. Then I was like, I have two other copies of this sprue that aren’t good for anything else, so might as well replace it...Fit has generally been excellent. My M47 has no sand shields, so I can build and paint the whole kit without having to figure out when I need to put the tracks on. They can be the very last thing with no sand shields. 

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11 hours ago, Asmodai said:

Yeah, I nipped a few hinge pins off of the one olive drab engine grille by accident. Then I was like, I have two other copies of this sprue that aren’t good for anything else, so might as well replace it...Fit has generally been excellent. My M47 has no sand shields, so I can build and paint the whole kit without having to figure out when I need to put the tracks on. They can be the very last thing with no sand shields. 

That's a very cunning plan! I salute you Sir! Interesting how these Senior Kits often assemble so well while newcomers don't :shrug:

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Quiet day in the hobby ghetto today, as well. I don't usually have a lot of motivation or energy usually when I get home from work. All I've done since the weekend is go around cutting the excess off the sprues, stuff I won't need or want for this build. A pretty extensive addition to the spares box - if mine wasn't bursting with M47 parts already :( ...   .30 and .50 cal MGs, optional muzzle brakes, tools, sandshields, muffler guards, figure, to name but a few.

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TBH, this group build's first week has had me wondering if it's time for a new hobby. While doing some more 'work', I had to dip into the dark green spares again. At the rate we're going, I'll consume the mispacked kit just to finish this one. Maybe. Somehow, I managed to misalign the olive drab barrel so badly, there was no way it could be salvaged and stay semi-round :( . So, I made up a dark green barrel....

 

Examining the Toadman pics again, it appears the hull .30 may in fact be mounted, just pulled back far into its mantlet. So I installed the kit part appropriately. While the commanders .50 is definitely gone, the long object in the left coaxial position may well be a .50 - this was possible on the M47, although not often done in service. I'll have to try to study the pics more. The tow hook and towing pintle mounts are present; they were welded to the hull, after all. The pintle itself and the hooks are missing on the real vehicle. Pintle, no problem, as the mount and pintle are seperate pieces. The hooks and mounts are molded by Italeri as one piece, so they will have to be modified or replaced, though...What's next?

 

IMG_5496_zpseuurrl43.jpg

Edited by Asmodai
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Good thing you have spares for this model. Sorry to hear its fighting back. I believe we all have those modeling moments where that happens. I have confidence though in the end you shall beat it into submission. Nice thing is you have 3 months, so if you need to take a break we’ll understand. 

 

Dennis

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At least you don't have to fill and cover gaps and battery holes on yours, from what I can see the running gear looks a bit closer to reality than the academy kit too, you'll get it beaten in the end I'm sure👍

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