Academy 1/35 M3 Honey

[Rodders]

Hi All,

I've started the newish Academy M3 Honey wonder if anyone's done one, and read a lot about the interior problems. But deciding to build it as is to get a bit of experience in armour modelling i've cut the individual links of their sprue as i've never done individual links anyone got any tips on the best way to assemble them. As i wear glasses and i'm getting old i've had to resort to magnifing glasses would the band tracks you get in the kit be just as good.

Anyone offer any advice,

Thanks.

[Deon]

with the tracks - assemble the bottom run using a stright edge. for the top run assemble them in one go with a straight edge , using liquid poly so they are still maleable . Have the chassis and running gear already fitted then lay the soft tracks over them and leave to harden, then remove. Paint and weather your tracks separate, paint and weather your lower chassis, stick the two together, seal if you can , then carry on with the rest of the build - works for some

[Mike S]

If this kit is the one depicting the three coloured Caunter scheme and that is the version that your are planning to build then then ignore the kit instructions it as it is totally fictitious. I can help if need be.

[Paul A H]

Hi

I built this kit recently and didn't have any problems. I took one look at the individual links and decided to use the bands and I think they turned out ok. I mixed my own colours for the camo scheme using Tamiya acrylics. I can give you the mix rations if you need them.

You can view my build here.

[Rodders]

If this kit is the one depicting the three coloured Caunter scheme and that is the version that your are planning to build then then ignore the kit instructions it as it is totally fictitious. I can help if need be.

Hi Mike,

Forgive me, what would i need to change. I've read about the turret cage, but don't what to do to rearrange the bits attached to it. Any help would be appreciated,

Thanks.

[Rodders]

Hi

I built this kit recently and didn't have any problems. I took one look at the individual links and decided to use the bands and I think they turned out ok. I mixed my own colours for the camo scheme using Tamiya acrylics. I can give you the mix rations if you need them.

You can view my build here.

Hi Paul,

Sorry i missed the bit about the Tamiya Acrylics. If you've got the mix ratios that would be really helpful,

Thanks.

[Paul A H]

No problem. I used:

For the sand colour (portland stone) 2 parts XF57 (Buff) to 1 part XF55 (Deck Tan)

For the grey/green colour (silver grey) 2 parts XF65 (Field Grey) to 3 parts XF57 (Buff)

For the dark green (slate) 2 parts XF27 to 1 part XF65 (Field Grey)

I'm not claiming these are strictly accurate but I think they're not a bad match. If you want to use enamels, Hannants sell all three colours in their xtracolor range.

[Mike S]

The three colours for Caunter were Light Stone or Portland Stone as a basic colour, the first being more likely as this was stressed in the current G.O. of mid 1941. Silver Grey 28 is medium tone yellow green and Slate is a grey-green with hint of yellow. I have near matched Tamiya acrylics to these using substitute standard patches made from 1930 originals in 1980.

Light Stone 61 = 7 x XF2 + 2 x XF59 + 2 x XF3

Portland Stone 64 = 1 x XF57 + 1 x XF3 + 6 x XF2

Silver Grey 28 = 7 x XF21 + x XF4 + 1 x XF19

Slate 34 = 1 + XF24 + 1 X XF4

The actual pattern on these tanks varied in detail, I have found four main variants of layout but they are fundamentally the same. As yet no kit in any scale has been even close to accurately depicting the correct pattern.

[Rodders]

Hi All,

I've been having a think , as i'm not very good at modifying kits. With Telford round the corner, could anyone give any idea of schemes i could do out of the box for this kit. I want to do a British vehicle, and i couild try and look for some decals whilst at Telford, but i don't know a lot about the Honey. I like to be as accurate as i can with my very limited abliity.

I don't want to do the American version, as i love British schemes.

Can anyone help,

Thanks.

[Rodders]

Anyone help, thanks.

[Matt Roberts]

All in all I enjoyed the kit. The Honey had all of The British Honey mods that I could want, flimsies, storage boxes and such. The biggest gripes I have had with my Academy WW II American/British armor are the lack of crew figures. You can find nearly any German crewman who served in WW II as a figure - somewhere in a Dragon kit - finding early war Allied armor figures has been a pain in the... Now Miniart has come around for Eighth Army figures but I have not had The $$$ to spend on them yet.

The kit goes together nicely. The interior 'glitch' is that there is a turret basket where The Honey and most Stuarts up the M3A5 did not have it. The basket allos The crew to stand still while the turret revolves and not have to sidestep in the turret as it pulls onto a target. My colors for a Cauter are probably wrong...US Desert Storm Tan and USN early war Blue Gray, with standard dark olive drab. Looks close to what my pics taken at the Imperial War Museum a while back looked so I was happy. I did have a mistake with The smoke grenade mortars on the right side of The turret. Not sure if this variant had one, and by the time I had started to paint it I figured it was too late. One thing to watch for is that the kit decals are the standard gripe about Academy decals, they didn't set well at all and I ended up painting The red/white striping by hand. I have knocked a couple of bits off of the interior of the turret over the years so it is a bit of a fragile assembly

As for the tracks - I am not the one to ask. As much as I hate Academy decals, individual link tracks top them. I used The rubber band ones, stapling them usually where they are least noticible, up under The sponsons or on this one along the bottom of The run.

I have a couple of Stuarts left to go. One is a Op Torch one with the auxilary tanks (the other boxing) cannot remembr exactly the defination and the other will be a USMC one on Midway that was painted in sand (like the Desert Storm tan)

Matt

[Mike]

with the tracks - assemble the bottom run using a stright edge. for the top run assemble them in one go with a straight edge , using liquid poly so they are still maleable . Have the chassis and running gear already fitted then lay the soft tracks over them and leave to harden, then remove. Paint and weather your tracks separate, paint and weather your lower chassis, stick the two together, seal if you can , then carry on with the rest of the build - works for some

That's exactly how I'd do it

With regard to the colors, have a look at the Lifecolor review here, as they do a paint set for British AFVs in the Middle East

[Rodders]

Thanks guys for the help. I should be at Telford Mike, so i'll keep a look out for the coulors. Thanks.

Matt, really like your Honey, you've done a good job there. I've never done an Academy model yet this will be my first. So, i'll see how the decals go,

Regards.

[vonmarkenhausen]

I don't know the kit myself? Other seperate track links kits , I usually paint the links on the sprue. Once dried and your suspension assembled.As said above. Stick the links together using poly cement. Using a straight edge such as a ruler. Leave for maybe an hour? The links will have stuck together but the glue not gone hard. Therefore pliable around the idler wheels and sprockets. You can also get some realistic "sagging" between the wheels if need be? If possible? Fit the top part of the kit after dealing with the tracks and suspension. Touch up the tracks later with paint and a brush. I admit this is a long winded way of building kits. Paint assemble,paint assemble etc. Also make sure the track links are pointing the right way. Hope this helps?

[Rodders]

Thanks for the help,

most appreciated,

Regards.

[Mike Starmer]

That's exactly how I'd do it

With regard to the colors, have a look at the Lifecolor review here, as they do a paint set for British AFVs in the Middle East

The Lifecolor set is totally inaccurate regarding the colours. None of them is even near the true hues and Terra Cotta given as a desert colour is not documented in any of the General Orders that I have from 1937 till 1943. I bought a set 2 years ago to compare with my matched patches from BS 381:C 1930 book. Nor did they brush out well.