FV-603B Saracen APC

[Courageous]

As promised, here is first entry into this GB with a FV-603B Saracen Armoured Personnel Carrier using the Ace kit in 1/72. First, the compulsories:

 

The box, nice.

 

The plastic sprues and new to me, rubber tyres. I have built one Ace kit before and being a limited run kit I know what to expect. If it's anything like their Centurion kit, it should look great but will require effort to get there.

 

Instructions & decals.

With Asia GB and F-86 STGB builds on the go, updates here may be a little sporadic until they near completion.

 

Stuart

[OutcastJoel]

Very nice!

I had this kit and it was quite high up the build queue but when I offered a selection of kits to a friend's child this was the one he chose so I shall have to live vicariously through following your build 🙂

[Courageous]

9 hours ago, OutcastJoel said:

vicariously

 I had to look that up .

 

Most of this assembly was built up the other evening at a club build night and fortunately the lower swing arms(?) are part of the floor. The fixing eyes(?) had their centres drilled and and fitted, so far, so good.

 

The instructions are not very clear as to how all this suspension goes together. The fitting of the wheel axles, 3 per side, was going to be awkward, so decided to ditch the kit method and drill through the required parts and will fit rod later when the suspension is built and in place. The shock absorbers have to go through the upper swing arms that are on that long part and I couldn't do that very easily, so this was a case choosing what pars and when due to potential alignment issues. After making sure that everything is cleaned and fits, I loosely placed the absorbers in the swing arm assembly...

 

and carefully fitted the swing arm assembly  and absorbers into their positions and glued the absorbers to the side hull and the lower swing arms. 

 

I then fitted the wheel hubs(?) that connected the upper and lower swing arms and glued these into position, fitted the front shocks and was finally in a position to glue the long rod. Now I know what I'm doing, I'll do the other side and then fit the axles. Isn't modelling fun...

 

Stuart

[JOCKNEY]

Terrific choice Stuart

I'm relieved that suspension is going together OK, as it looks very intricate 

Best of luck 

Cheers Pat 

[Milan Mynar]

As I see it, the ACE company offers models of interesting types of vehicles.

[PeterB]

On 10/26/2024 at 9:29 AM, Milan Mynar said:

As I see it, the ACE company offers models of interesting types of vehicles.

Yes, but some of their earlier ones may be problematic in my experience - I tried to build their T-59 a few years back and gave up as the engineering was poor, the fit bad and the plastic did not seem to take glue- even CA! Last year I built their T-90 and it was much better.

 

Pete

[Courageous]

While manning the club table at the IPMS Nationals at Telford, thought I'd do a little stint on this Saracen.

 

Mudguards, exhausts and smaller parts fitted. Also built up and fitted the 4-wheel steering linkages. Looking very busy under those mudguards.

 

Time to move topside and what a PITA that was. Fit the front, then the bonnet, then the drivers front plate, then the top and then fit the air inlet ducting(?) and nothing fitted. Everything had to be filed, sanded, whittled to get it to fit but got there in the end with some clean-up required. Time for a rest.

 

Stuart

 

 

 

 

[CliffB]

It's looking good Stuart, and extra kudos to you for managing to do all that at Telford 

[Courageous]

More ancillaries like lights, smoke dischargers, aerial mounts, extinguishers, etc fitted. Also built and fitted the commanders turret, added the hatch struts too. Wheel hubs built up and the rubber tyres sanded to get rid of the central seam on them. This is all but ready for some primer.

 

Stuart

[Illusive]

Wish ACE or someone else made 1/35 Saracen that is not resin and actually exists. Dragon had one in their Black Label line but it's only on Ebay or at a shop with old stock items. ACE kit is next best thing even if tiny. @Courageous Great job because of that alone

[Milan Mynar]

Good work.

[robgizlu]

That is very appealing

Rob

[Courageous]

17 minutes ago, robgizlu said:

That is very appealing

I'm glad you think so. I hope I can produce a good outcome for the table as I've never seen one built.

 

Stuart

[Terry1954]

Should look good in this scale. Just make sure you get the internal hatch colour right 

 

Terry

[Courageous]

Everything was primed and the main hull and some wheel hubs were painted with Light Stone from AK. Tyres were also primed and then painted Panzer Grey from AK. Next step, green.

 

Stuart 

[Courageous]

Masking done and NATO Green from AK applied. Although I plan to have a dude in the turret, the innards can be seen, so I suppose I better carefully paint an internal colour. Fitted hubs into tyres and as I thought, the paint adhesion to the rubber isn't the best and some has flaked off, touch up needed. Onwards and upwards.

 

Stuart

[rayprit]

Be careful with those rubber tyres?  I built the ACE Salamander and Stalwart and after finishing the models 2 yeas ago, 5 of those tyres have split..............superglued them shut and another 2 have recently split...........other than that superb detailed model.............recently finished Accurate Armour Saracen and Saladin.(1/35)........not a problem with them

[Courageous]

9 hours ago, rayprit said:

tyres have split

Oh dear, that has confirmed rumours. I know that you can get 3D replacements but I'm not spending £18 for a set! Think I'll have to wait for tyres to split and sort them out then.

 

Stuart

[Terry1954]

5 minutes ago, Courageous said:

Oh dear, that has confirmed rumours. I know that you can get 3D replacements but I'm not spending £18 for a set! Think I'll have to wait for tyres to split and sort them out then.

 

Stuart

 

You could always cast yourself a resin set from the rubber ones .................... just saying. 

 

T.

[Courageous]

14 minutes ago, Terry1954 said:

cast yourself a resin set

Very true Terry but I don't have the time or the setup to do that, besides, I've more than enough stash subjects to work through.

 

Stuart

[Milan Mynar]

11 hours ago, Courageous said:

Masking done and NATO Green from AK applied. Although I plan to have a dude in the turret, the innards can be seen, so I suppose I better carefully paint an internal colour. Fitted hubs into tyres and as I thought, the paint adhesion to the rubber isn't the best and some has flaked off, touch up needed. Onwards and upwards.

 

Stuart

Nice paintwork.

[Courageous]

Decals added and sealed. A bit of dirtiness was added for effect. Not much to do, paint he lights, fit some mirrors, fit a Bren mg on the rear ring and fit the turret, hopefully with a dude in it.

 

Stuart

[Bengalensis]

Looking great, the paint work has really come to life now 👍