OutcastJoel Posted September 9, 2021 Share Posted September 9, 2021 I found the Airfix M3 Grant in my local model shop and was impressed by the price for a full interior kit. With me being Nottinghamshire based and one of the markings being Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, I was sold! The one thing I don't like is the tracks so I replaced them with Mini Art workable plastic tracks. These are 1mm too wide for the kit drive wheels so I knocked up some spacers: The fit is good and the interior is quite nice. Plenty of ejector pin marks to fill though. I had a play with making rougher armour texture (although keeping it light on the sections of rolled plate). One question I have though is this below. This looks like radio but I think this probably isn't right for a UK Grant which I understand to be housed in the turret. Does anyone have any good photos of the interior of a Grant (especially the one at Bovington). I would love to know what should actually be there. I picked up the New Vanguard book in the hope it would have something but it doesn't really. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ade H Posted September 9, 2021 Share Posted September 9, 2021 (edited) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_Army_radio_sets should be of some help. It was probably refitted with a no.19 of one mark or another, for which there are lots of photos. That's available as a resin part from at least one company. Sorry but I can't recall the name(s). Edited September 9, 2021 by Ade H 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted September 10, 2021 Share Posted September 10, 2021 (edited) One glaring error here by Academy (who make the "Airfix" kit) is that the Grant had the radio in the turret and not in the hull. That was the whole reason for the Grant turret. I believe that Academy have simply kept the Lee interior whereas the Lee and Grant were different internally. Lees in UK service retained the hull radio but had the SCR628 replaced with a No19 set moved forward nearer the driver (who doubled as the operator) and mounted on the hull side rather than the sponson top. Grants had a water tank and other stowage where Academy have put the SCR radio. Panzer Art have just released an excellent No19 radio. I've just bought a couple. Resicast do a set including No19 & No38 wireless sets. For Panzer Art in the UK and some other harder-to-find brands try Wildcats Models. He has an eBay shop too. https://wildcatsmodels.com/metal-resin-adds/21003-panzer-art-135-re35-065-m2-browning-50-cal-heavy-machine-gun.html?search_query=radio&results=5 If you Google "M3 Grant interior" a few images pop up of various parts of the interior. The Miniart Grant "interior" kit makes a more correct job of the Grant interior and there are many images of that on the Miniart website. Interesting about the different track widths. I've got a couple of the Minart T41s to fit to other brand kits. The PMMS review of the Miniart T41s has them spot on for width: 11.62mm in 1/35. Terry does however say that they fitted many other kit brand sprockets but NOT Academy, so the Academy sprockets are either too narrow or the toothed rings are unusually thick. Edited October 16, 2021 by Das Abteilung correction 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutcastJoel Posted September 10, 2021 Author Share Posted September 10, 2021 Thank you chaps that is really useful. @Das Abteilung I suspect that the Academy sprocket is too narrow rather than the track too wide, whilst it is a nice kit, it doesn't scream accuracy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted September 10, 2021 Share Posted September 10, 2021 Nice work so far. I don't know if you are aware of this, but Terry Ashley of PMMS has an in depth review of this kit. Just ignore the bit about the too tall VVSS units as that only applied to the very first issues of the kit. They were subsequently corrected. John. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ade H Posted September 10, 2021 Share Posted September 10, 2021 I really wish that Terry Ashley was still writing because his reviews are unmatched, but I haven't seen an update for a long time. I hope he's OK. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutcastJoel Posted September 10, 2021 Author Share Posted September 10, 2021 Well, some progress has been made, I found this superb website: http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/manufacturer/m3grant/m3grant.html And I drew up what will hopefully be a reasonable representation of a Mk19 in CAD. I just need to knock up the water tank and extra ammo box which sat where the US had their radio and then I can start painting the interior properly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutcastJoel Posted September 12, 2021 Author Share Posted September 12, 2021 So my attempts at a nice quick out of the box build without any real research isn't going entirely as planned. In addition to the kit inside, I have blanked the bomb thrower port (the grey mess on the outside). I have only found one photo of this tank and I can't see if the bomb thrower port is blanked or not but looking through other Grants in North Africa during 1942 suggests most were (which also means I can avoid making a fairly complex bit of equipment without feeling twitchy). 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutcastJoel Posted September 26, 2021 Author Share Posted September 26, 2021 The interior is now painted (badly) and I am working on boxing it all up ready for painting. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted September 27, 2021 Share Posted September 27, 2021 You are working miracles my friend. 3D printing on an ad hoc basis has well and truly arrived then. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutcastJoel Posted October 15, 2021 Author Share Posted October 15, 2021 @Bertie Psmith thank you! I manage to utterly forget to update this thread but over the last few weeks I have painted and weathered it. It needs a little more work but it is almost finished. 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted October 15, 2021 Share Posted October 15, 2021 Show us the inside, you tease! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edjbartos Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 You have made a lovely job of this tank, the build and painting has been absolutely superb, as Bertie has just mentioned it would be nice to see some interior after all your hard work. well done Ed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutcastJoel Posted October 16, 2021 Author Share Posted October 16, 2021 Thank you folks 😁 Once I have it finished I will take it outside into the daylight and get some nice photos. Don't get your hopes up though, the interior isn't great, I really struggled to make white look grubby effectively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 Some Bad News. Apologies for not noticing sooner. No Grants had the L/40 M3 main gun. All 1,685 - without exception - had the shorter L/31 M2 gun. Late Lees did have the M3 gun but even the final production diesel Grant IIs in July 42 still had the M2. The Grant build standard was not homogenised with the Lee even after the introduction of Lend-Lease and the integration of production capacity and no Grants went through Ordnance acceptance or had Ordnance serials allocated. Even the adaption to the M3A3/A5 twin diesel powerplant for the final couple of months' production at Baldwin retained the remainder of the Grant build standard. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutcastJoel Posted October 17, 2021 Author Share Posted October 17, 2021 21 hours ago, Das Abteilung said: Some Bad News. Apologies for not noticing sooner. No Grants had the L/40 M3 main gun. All 1,685 - without exception - had the shorter L/31 M2 gun. Late Lees did have the M3 gun but even the final production diesel Grant IIs in July 42 still had the M2. The Grant build standard was not homogenised with the Lee even after the introduction of Lend-Lease and the integration of production capacity and no Grants went through Ordnance acceptance or had Ordnance serials allocated. Even the adaption to the M3A3/A5 twin diesel powerplant for the final couple of months' production at Baldwin retained the remainder of the Grant build standard. Is this the hull mounted 75mm? The instructions were very unclear, I used the shorter of the two plain barrels available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 Yes. The 75mm sponson gun. That can't surely be the shorter of the 2 in the kit? It must be the longer. Or it should have been inserted very much further into the mantlet. The difference in real life was 675mm or 26 inches. 19mm in scale. You say "plain" barrels. Was there one with a counterweight option? That would be very appropriate for a Grant: the M2 gun needed it to compensate the stabiliser for the shorter barrel. Most Grants had the counterweight but it was not universal as the stabiliser was not initially fitted and was often disconnected if fitted. KIt manufacturers do muddle up the gun barrels as they are often on sprues common to both Lee and Grant variants. One advantage of Miniart's single-variant boxing approach. They get the 37mm barrel wrong too. All Grants had the shorter M5 whereas Lees had both the M5 and later the longer M6. Grant with M2 gun and later production Lee with M3 gun for length comparison. The M2 had a noticeable flare at the muzzle too. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutcastJoel Posted October 18, 2021 Author Share Posted October 18, 2021 Sooo... My plan to paint the tools by themselves and then glue them to the kit didn't happen. I also dug through the kit box and found that there was indeed a shorter barrel with a distinct flair at the muzzle. So, the rear deck is awaiting repainting: And I am trying to work out how to remove the existing barrel in such a way I can get the new one on ok... It will probably need a canvas mantlet cover to hide the join. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 Sounds like a job for PVA-soaked tissue paper. Or maybe Milliput, Magic Sculp etc if you're good with those. It is rare to see Grants in the desert without the cover anyway. Panzer Art have a resin cover and aluminium barrel set (RE35-211), but that's an expensive fix at £6-7 and I'm not sure that you don't have to do any surgery to fit it. I've got one for my Takom CDL but I haven't looked closely at it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutcastJoel Posted October 19, 2021 Author Share Posted October 19, 2021 The initial surgery went fairly well: I just need to park it now for the glue to dry so I can start attempting the tissue and PVA work. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutcastJoel Posted October 20, 2021 Author Share Posted October 20, 2021 It took a few attempts but I think it is a reasonable representation. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 Nice! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom W. Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 This cover is great 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted October 21, 2021 Share Posted October 21, 2021 I did the same thing on my Academy build a few years ago. You've done a very neat job of it. John. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutcastJoel Posted November 3, 2021 Author Share Posted November 3, 2021 I finally accepted that further work would only make it worse so... RFI to follow... 😁 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now