PeterB Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 (edited) I decided that I did not have time to build another plane due to other committments, so I thought I would have a shot at this, I bought it about 10 years ago along with the Airfix Saladin and Saracen, but I never opened the box it seems, so I had a bit of a surprise just now. Clearly the one piece wheels and tracks are not normal for Airfix so I had a look on Scalemates and all was revealed. About 20 years ago I bought a couple of kits of the British Light Mk VI tank made by a British company called JB Models during the 1990's. Later, in around 2008 Airfix started selling the same kit, and it seems that they must have aquired the moulds from JB. They also aquired some others, this M113 together with the "fire support" version, the Saladin, Saracen and the LWB Land Rover with trailer. JB also made the 105mm "light gun" and a Bedford lorry and tanker. Airfix have re-boxed all of them at some point. Curiously, JB also released a Scorpion/Scimitar light tank, but it turns out that that was a re-box of the old Airfix kit! Strangely however, they do not seem to have aquired the moulds for the Landrover 1 tonne truck and Ambulance which appear to have gone to Eastern Europe. Anyway, this is clearly quite a simple kit but nicely detailed as were the Mk VI tanks from the same source, and Scalemates say that all 3 versions which decals are provided for actually served in Vietnam. However, the support version whch Airfix sold as "M113 US Fire Support Vehicle" is actually the version fitted with the turret and gun from the Saracen Armoured car, which was also used in 'Nam. but by the Australians, not the US. The only slight disappointment is the lack of stowage and clutter such as spare wheels that often was to be seen on these APC in service, but I can probably do something about that as I have some resin stuff I bought from Millicast a few years back - boxes, camo netting, roled canvas etc According to Airfix it has black rubber tyres on the wheels and just about everything else is green, but I won't be following their suggestion to use Humbrol Hu30! Besides the 3 rotating gun shields it can be built with the top doors/hatches open, and the water trim vane open or closed. Does anybody know what the interior colour was - white/cream perhaps? I would imagine that the inside of the hatches would have been the same colour as the hull though. Anyway, I will make a start on this shortly - should not take too long but I have said that many times before only to be proved wrong! I was also considering building a T-54 tank, but am not sure what markings it would have so probably won't bother. Cheers Pete Edited October 26, 2020 by PeterB 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 27, 2020 Share Posted October 27, 2020 A great choice Pete, we couldn't really have a Vietnam GB without an M113 could we. Looks like it should build into a nice model. The interior should be white if I remember correctly, but they wouldn't stay clean for very long! A T-54 would be great too, there are pics of them online and it is an option in some of the modern T-54 kits such as Miniart so a look at their instructions will show you how they were marked too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 27, 2020 Author Share Posted October 27, 2020 Thanks Craig, I actually have 1/72 or 1/76 kits of the T-54, T-55 and T-59 all of which I think the North Vietnamese had. As I recall the T-54 kit comes with both early and later turrets. I will have to dig them out and have a look. According to the instructions for the Miniart kit you mentioned, the markings just seem to be a star and number on the turret. I will have to think about that. They all have the rigid track in short lengths/individual pieces which I am not a great fan of as they make painting/gluing tricky. Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diases Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 Interior colour. US APC Interior Green (A.MIG-082) was Used for this one, or a Duck Egg Green is another call out Paul 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 29, 2020 Author Share Posted October 29, 2020 Thanks, I suspect the only hatch open will be the one behing the 50cal - as the inside of the hatch would be visible - would it be in camo colour instead of the interior colour I wonder? AFAIK WWII tanks that were cream or white inside had the hatch covers painted darker so that they would not stand out against the camo when open. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 awesome Pete!!!! So glad you've decided to build one of these, as Craig mentioned, you really can't have a Vietnam GB without a M113! I've never seen this model before, looks to be a nice simple build. Good luck with her, will follow with interest. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 30, 2020 Author Share Posted October 30, 2020 (edited) Right, here we go -said it might not take long! Bit out of focus as usual, my old camera can be a bit of a problem on close-ups, or maybe it is my shaky hands. The kind of combined wheel and track arrangement provided in this kit make painting a bit fiddly but assembly quick! I painted the lower hull and wheels in Tamiya XF-62 OD and the tracks and tyres in Tamiya Rubber Black. I have glued the wheel assembly onto the lower hull, and the upper hull and rear door frame onto the mudguards - fit is good so far. There is a pic of the one I will be building in the Squadron Signal book on the M113 "In Action" with no guns fitted and a couple of the crew sitting on top. It says that it had just been delivered to them. I do not normally indulge in weathering, though I like the look of it when done well. As a result I have none of the various powders, pigments etc, and just use a thin wash of paint when I do have a go, as on some of my "OO" locos - I have a fairly grimy Class 9F 2-10-0 but I did not go as far ar putting rust etc on it, just a bit of muck. I think I am going to have to do something with this however - I gather the soil in Vietnam tends to the red/brown colour so I will have a try. In this scale it is easy to overdo it so it will be fairly subdued - my excuse being it is a new machine! If it were in 1/35 scale I would be looking at dry-brushing some metal scratches on the teeth of the driving sprocket and the track guides, and adding some rust before starting on soil/mud, but this will likely just get a thin wash of shades of red/brown on the wheels, tracks and lower hull. As to the colours I am using, my initial thought was Colourcoats WWII US Army OD, but looking oin the internet I saw that they used a different shade in the 1950/60's., possibly FS 34087 which is what Mr Hobby H304 is supposed to be, but other sources including Jeroen S suggested Tamiya XF-62 which is a bit darker. Curiously the NVA T-59 tank I am hoping to build also seems to be in the same colour according to the Miniart instructions for theirs - I would have expected Russian Tank Green except for the fact that it is built in China, so who knows! I must admit my knowledge of the M113 is rather limited, so I did a bit of research and this is the result- During WWI both the Germans and Allies realised the need to carry infantry etc around a battlefield in vehicles that gave them some degree of protection, hence the British Tank Mk IX infantry carrier, but the troops were overcome with the engine heat and fumes and were sick, so it ended up just carrying cargo. There was not much more done about it until just before, and during WWII when they produced vehicles such as the SdKfz 250/251 and M3 family of halftracks and the improvised converted turretless tanks the Brits called Kangeroos. All of these were reasonably effective but shared a common fault – the lack of proper overhead protection for the passengers (sometimes there was an improvised cover). After the war attempts were made to overcome this problem with wheeled vehicles such as the British Saracen and the like, and indeed wheeled Armoured Personnel Carriers still have a place in most armies. However the advantages of a tracked vehicle on churned up ground have resulted in a new generation of APCs, and later the so called “Infantry Fighting Vehicle” or IFV. The first US effort was the M75 of 1952 which was big, heavy and expensive, and was replaced in 1954 by the smaller and cheaper M59, but that suffered from a lack of protection. In 1961 the M113 was introduced which used aluminium armour designed to stop a 7.62mm bullet – if extra armour is added this rises to 14.5mm, and armour can be added underneath to provide some protection from mines. The relatively light weight makes this vehicle more capable of traversing rough or swampy terrain with the added advantage that it is amphibious. The first 32 M113 deployed to Vietnam were supplied to the South Vietnamese army in 1962 but they found that anybody trying to man the roof mounted gun was extremely vulnerable to enemy fire so they added makeshift shields. Apparently the US were less than happy about them "messing about" with their new toys, but when they too became directly involved in the war in 1965 they soon introduced their own “official” version – the M113A1 ACAV. This was a diesel powered version of the M113 with a 50.cal M2 gun mounted up front and two 7.62 MG on either side at the rear, all with shields. Various other weapons fits were used including grenade launchers and later TOW missiles,and there were also command versions with extra radios, mortar carriers, ambulances and so on. The basic M113 carried a driver, commander and a squad of 11 infantry, and around 80000 have been produced, which is even more than the ubiquitous M3 familiy of half-tracks - many remain in service throughout the world today in a variety of roles though they have mostly been replaced by the Bradley in the US Army. Bye for now. Pete Edited October 30, 2020 by PeterB 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 gee that is quick! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 Off to a great start Pete, at this rate it won't be long before she's in the gallery! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 31, 2020 Author Share Posted October 31, 2020 (edited) Thanks Craig, It looks even better now I have put the rear door frame on the right way up! I really must get some new glasses once I can get out again. As you can see I have glued the body on together with the rear door, top rear hatch and the driver's hatch. I have glued the water vane in the open position so that I can put some stowage behind it. The official stowage of a roll of wire netting and some fence posts was often supplemented by various personal items together with tarps etc, and as it would be vulnerable on the outside when crashing through bushes, it was often put behind the vane. I think a little filler is needed at the rear corners. I believe the triangular thingies on the top are aerial mounts - There is no mention of them in the kit but pics show anything from 1 to 4 whip aerials - think I will be adding two at the front. Pete Edited October 31, 2020 by PeterB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 That looks great to me Pete, M113 shaped already. I like the idea of carrying stowage behind the water vane, will really help to busy up the look of her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 31, 2020 Author Share Posted October 31, 2020 I was thinking of something like this. Camo net, large and small rolled tarps, box and jerry can. Might even manage the wire fencing as well. Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 Oh yes, that looks like a very good load to have behind the water vane Pete. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 31, 2020 Author Share Posted October 31, 2020 Coming along pretty quickly. Not the best of photos under artificial light - colours all over the place! I made the wire mesh fencing from a cheap tea strainer - bought a batch many years back for tank grilles. There are a large and small tarp and a roll of camo netting behind the "trim vane" to give it the correct title I believe - the box was painted in enamel "teak" so it will not be added until it is dry and weathered. With the exception of a couple of Jerry cans on the back it is now a bog standard M113 (except for the hole in the roof). I will give it a lick of varnish and then add the decs, before having a shot at weathering. In the meantime I will assemble the "ACAV kit" which could be fitted to most M113 I gather, Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diases Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 The Triangles you mention on the roof, The front two are defiantly guards for the aerial mounts. As your ACAV'ing, the rear two should be the machine gun mounts for the M60's, so the top hatch could be used by the gunners. Paul 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 1 hour ago, PeterB said: Coming along pretty quickly. Very quickly I would say, and very nicely too Pete.👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 31, 2020 Author Share Posted October 31, 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, diases said: The Triangles you mention on the roof, The front two are defiantly guards for the aerial mounts. As your ACAV'ing, the rear two should be the machine gun mounts for the M60's, so the top hatch could be used by the gunners. Paul Hi Paul, That is what I thought at first but both the kit instructions and various pics seem to show them further forwards. I have to say that I am not totally convinced as the position shown on the instructions would make it ruddy hard for the gunners to get at them - did they have seats mounted high up so they could reach or what? Once I have assembled them I will play around and see what looks natural, but as you can see in this pic of a standard M113, probably used by the South Vietnamese Army, what the kit portrays as solid triangles were in fact tubular frames, and the one in the pic is using both of the left hand ones as aerial mounts. Other pics show the front one on both sides in use and even all four, but that is probably on a command vehicle. The illustrations and pics I have show the two side guns mounted on cranked pintles near the front of the upper rear hatch. I would estimate that their field of fire was limited to an arc from the front quarter to just rear of amidships, which could be why I have seen illustrations of another mount actually on the inside of the rear upper hatch - presumably a gun could be repositioned on that to cover the rear? Clearly I will have to do a bit more research! Later. Looking at the instructions for the M113 ACAV in 1/35 scale from both Italeri and Tamiya, it would appear that the rear aerial mounts were usually removed when the ACAV kit was fitted so I have cut them off. I probably should cut the front ones off as well and make up a frame from rod but frankly I doubt I will bother. Even later, If anybody decides to build this a word of warning. The decs are tiny and mine were most reluctant to come off the backing paper - don't try to push them as they will break! Also, having followed the instructions and fitted the side skirts, I now find that they were mostly taken off in Vietnam, either because they clogged up or else bashing into bushes tore them off - the Aussies did the same with their Centurions I believe. I may see if I can get them off but I suspect they are stuck on too well. Oh bother! Pete Edited October 31, 2020 by PeterB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diases Posted November 1, 2020 Share Posted November 1, 2020 My Gun truck M113 had 2 Pintles on the rear mounts, But the design pushes the Gun Outboard to increase the field of fire. But the good news is that most of these mod's were fitted in the field, so can be radically different depending on the units requirements. Also, the M60's can be replaced with anything from 30's,50's, and even mini-guns, to up the firepower. The Skirts do look Flimsy, and would easily be damaged. Maybe you could cut/bend the skirts, leaving the top mounting strip in place. Paul 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted November 1, 2020 Author Share Posted November 1, 2020 (edited) Hi Paul, Managed to get the skirts off eventually - the pic I am working to shows no sign of the mounting rail. The instructions for the assembly of the armour plates and gun to the commander's cupola are rather vague so I may not have got it exactly right but it will do. I though I would try using flash as green does not seem to show up well in artificial light. Not too bad though the colour is a bit yellow now. So, all the bits on and varnished ready for weathering. Pete Edited November 1, 2020 by PeterB 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted November 1, 2020 Share Posted November 1, 2020 Looks very good to me Pete, I think you have the gun shield just right. With a bit of weathering and a matt coat it will be fantastic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted November 1, 2020 Author Share Posted November 1, 2020 Thanks Craig, The kit does provide the top end of a "Commander" figure but it is a bit crude and with my lack of figure painting skills I decided to do it closed down. What I did not immediately grasp is thet the raised "lid" of cupola provides the rear armour so it now looks a bit strange with a gap at the back. I will leave the varnish to dry for a day or two before I do the weathering. Unfortunately my normal Flat varnish, be it Tamiya, Mr Colour or Xtracrylic, dries with a slight sheen. Must look into getting something that dries really flat like my old Microscale stuff did. Can't use that on acrylic paint I believe as a previous attempt stripped the ruddy paint! Cheers Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted November 2, 2020 Author Share Posted November 2, 2020 So, a bit of light weathering done. The old Airfix Sheridan in the background for comparison. Pete 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 Looks good Pete.👍 I like the Sheridan too, very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted November 12, 2020 Share Posted November 12, 2020 I do like very much!! She just looks the part perfectly, well done. Tamiya Flat usually tires pretty flat I find, strange yours didn't. Now if you want ultra flat these a new one out from an Oz company SMS Paints. It's a lacquer, so ideally airbrush (they really need to be thinned I reckon), but boy does it give a super flat finish! There's now a seller in the UK and couple in the states. https://www.scalemodeller.com.au 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted November 29, 2020 Author Share Posted November 29, 2020 So after some delay I have managed to finish it and will post it in the Gallery. I used Tamiya Flat varnish and as you can see there is a slight sheen Rich, but it does not look too bad. Cheers Pete 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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