Yetifans Tamiya M247 Sgt York

[Yetifan]

Hi Everyone, really looking forward to this group build. I’ve chosen a kit that I remember looking at in the old Tamiya catalogues from my younger days. So when I saw this in stock on the tinternet I had to go for it.

 

 

So build will be out of the box and I need to decide on paint job. Had an idea to recreate an example that is on display at a Tank Museum in the USA because I could avoid doing the MERDC camo. Still got time to decide, so lets get things started:

 

Nice straightforward sprue set, huge turret moulding and regular M60 hull and running gear.

 

 

Rubber band tracks which are straight (not like the last few from Tamiya!). Sprues are super sharp and crisp just without the extra level of detail you get in MENG or DRAGON kits.

 

So time to get started, thanks for looking 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Excellent another version i was hoping to see. Though they never really advanced past prototype stage. They still looked mean as heck. I wouldnt want one of these tracking my happy backside, if id have been rolling in to attack. 

 

Dennis

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

I did a little digging, the Sgt. York or DIVADS. Was based on the M48 not the M60 always thought they were M60’s ? From Wiki. ? 

 

“Colonel Parker unveiled the DIVAD plan to 49 industry representatives on 18 May 1977. The DIVADs requirement demanded that the entrants be based on the M48 Patton tank chassis, provided by the Army, which were held in large quantities in surplus depots.”

“Perhaps the most surprising problem was that the 30-year-old M48 chassis with the new 20-ton turret meant the vehicle had trouble keeping pace with the newer M1 and M2, the vehicles it was meant to protect.”

“On 27 August 1985, Secretary of DefenseCaspar Weinberger killed the project after about 50 vehicles had been produced.”

 

I also found this review? 

 

http://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/kits/tam/kit_tam_3626a.shtml

 

Dennis

 

Edited March 28, 2019 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[Asmodai]

It will be nice to see one of these built these days. The Hunnicut Patton 'bible' cuts off early in the development of the DIVAD. It was published right before the awful truth about the Sgt. York emerged - it could hit just about anything. Other than its intended airborne targets, even latrine fans ! http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2017/02/time-military-paid-anti-aircraft-gun-locked-onto-toilets/

 

Even though the real thing was an expensive dud, it's still a cool looking vehicle. Good luck. 

[PlaStix]

Hi Yetifan. Having witnessed the beautiful modelling you did on your Dragon Panzer IV Ausf H in the Pz.IV STGB, I'm really looking forward to seeing what you do with this great looking AFV! 

Kind regards,

Stix

[BerndM]

Looks like a very nice project and there is always much fun in these Tamiya boxes.

[Silenoz]

enjoy this one... and MERDC, just some playtime with blutack and the like (still easier said then done, but...)

[Yetifan]

Hi @Corsairfoxfouruncle you are quite correct, the tamiya hull has “M48” moulded in the forward section of the hull just below the Tamiya logo, I thought it was based on the M60 as well. 

 

Hi @Asmodai could’nt hit a barn, from inside the barn 🙂

 

Hi @PlaStix thanks for your generous words, this kit will be OOB apart from a few areas I want to look at. I have some fine wire mesh that I might try to recreate the ammo baskets (i think) that are visible in many of the online photos. This is a view of the turret from behind and the baskets can be clearly seen.

 

 

Hi @BerndM I do confess to having a soft spot for these old Tamiya kits, it comes from spending hours looking through the catalogue deciding which kit would get my hard earned pocket money. I’m having the chance now to build the ones I never got round to 🙂

 

Hi @Silenoz Ive just finished an M60A1 with MERDC and it was a bit of a pain to be honest. I did however get the technique sorted so will look at doing it again on this kit and sharing how I did it.

 

 

I found this resource online that really helped with the paint scheme:

 

www.cybermodeler.com/armor/m60/m60_profile02.shtml

 

Not a very good pic, will do some more and add to my flickr album once I can get some time and daylight 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hewy]

That's a very nice looking m60 a1 look forward to the sgt york

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello @Yetifan ... Found a kool link from people that got inside one of the abandoned York’s. 

 

Quick question will you be attempting to build the thermal suppresion rear end on the hull ? The big boxy structure above the standard hull ? 

 

Dennis

 

[Yetifan]

21 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Quick question will you be attempting to build the thermal suppresion rear end on the hull ? The big boxy structure above the standard hull ? 

 

Dennis

 

Hi Dennis, i’m certainly tempted. I have not really done much scratch building but this looks to be mainly flat metal sheets shaped to extend the heat shield beyond the back of the hull. There are lots of images online so will start thinking about how to give it a go.

[Plasto]

Nice old Tamiya kit...Have fun.

[Ernie]

Looking forward to your build, I like this vehicle, just have never gotten around to getting a kit.

[Yetifan]

Hi Everyone, I hope you all enjoyed the glorious bank holiday weekend so I am sure you will forgive me for my slow progress on the Yorkie.

 

So I thought long and hard about the scratchbuild idea to correct the well documented missing engine housing and other changes from the prototype that Tamiya based the model on. The conclusion I came to was to build OOB, I’m not motivated by the scratchbuild / modifications as some are. This build has been a bit slower than my usual speed anyway and so I’m keen to get it moving along.

 

So far the build has been straightforward with no major issues other than the large holes and gaps in the hull which I can only assume are left over from when these kits came with electric motors. I have filled the main holes with plastic card and they are no longer noticeable. The only mod I have done is add the cross shaped pressings to the mud flaps which appear in every photo and are missing from the kit. I used thin plastic rod cut to size and they worked quite well.

 

 

 

The next job was to get a base coat of XF-69 NATO Black sprayed on. First boo boo, I didn’t do a stellar job of cleaning the airbrush last time i used it so spent a tedious 20 mins stripping and cleaning the bloomin thing. This dampened my spirits somewhat and then I managed to spill the paint as well doh! So after some swearing and further faffing I managed to get an initial base coat on the model. 

 

 

Not completely happy with it but to be honest by then I’d had enough and called it a day. 

 

The next step is to get some base colour on. I am going to go with a verdant MERDC scheme as shown on the side of the box art. It is the same design as the main scheme in the instructions just using greens. Second boo boo however was buying X-5 instead of XF-5 so will have to try and swap it over next time i’m near Hobbycraft 

 

So that’s all for now, off on holiday for a week from tomorrow so will update again once I get back and get the paint sorted.

 

Thanks for looking 🙂

 

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello Yeti... We all have those days. We have two months still so plenty of time no worries no hurries. 

[PlaStix]

Great to see some paint starting to go on Yetifan! 

Kind regards,

Stix

[Hubba]

That's a strange but very cool looking machine

[Yetifan]

Hi everyone, progress update for you. Managed to swap my gloss X-5 for matt XF-5 Flat Green no problem, so was able to get started on the paint job. First step was an all over covering of XF-5, needed to do two air brush sessions after realising the joint of the front hull was not smooth, so some filling and further filing was required before a second cover coat.

 

 

I’m doing a MERDC scheme so the next step was to mask off the areas to be painted XF-62 olive drab. I used the same technique I practiced on the M60. I haven't tried the masking putty products so I use blu-tac and foil.

 

 

It seems to work quite well and is a lot easier than using masking tape. Once painted and removed the finish is pretty good. 

 

 

I’ll post a further update once I have the turret completed. I’ll use nato black and buff for the hand painted elements of the MERDC scheme.

 

Thanks for looking 🙂

 

 

 

 

[Hewy]

 Looks a difficult camo, but I like this scheme, 

[Yetifan]

Hi Everyone,

 

Some further work on the MERDC scheme today. So I looked around for a detailed design online and could’nt find one for the M247 so I used the instructions scheme and a bit of freehand artistic licence when applying the Buff and nato Black. I certainly felt a bit more confident having done the scheme on the M60. I used brushes and thinned with water paint so that it brushed well although this did run in a few spots that will need correcting.

 

 

 

Overall I think less is more with the MERDC and it would be easy to overdue it. Some final assembly to complete by adding the grab rails, tacking radar to the turret and then the idler wheels. 

 

Next job will be to give it a coat of varnish and add the very few decals. 

 

Thanks for looking 🙂

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

NICE ... VERY NICE ! 

[PlaStix]

That really is looking very impressive!! Great job on the camo! Hope the decals go on okay!

Kind regards,

Stix

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello Yeti.. Just letting everyone know we’re halfway through the group builds time. Hoping everything's going good since the painting. 

 

Dennis

[Yetifan]

Hi Everyone, another quick update. So gloss varnish applied, I’ve been using MIG Lucky Varnish and it works well but will not resist enamel thinner so with decals applied (only three!) I have applied some initial washes and in dark and light tones. The idea is to try and tone down the very bright XF-5 and make the paint appear faded on the large flat surfaces. 

 

 

 

Ive used some oil paints and some MIG dark brown wash.

 

I think its worked ok, will leave the oils plenty of time to dry and then review how much further to go with it. I’ll seal with MIG Lucky Matt Varnish before dry brushing to bring out all the details. I’m not going to go too far with it and there will be very limited chipping..

 

Next job will be the rubber band tracks. They fit well enough and no need to worry about sag. Will work on a dusty dry finish and see how they go.

 

Thanks for looking 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

[PlaStix]

That looks to be coming together really well. It really was an odd looking beast.

Kind regards,

Stix