It's not cheap to run a chunk of precision engineering which can make first round kills at 65+ kph and in any weather.

The main reason for the extreme maintenance is to avoid any problems which they hope won't happen.
When ya think that the tracks on a M1A1 weight in at over 2 tons each ya wanna kinda keep on top of that sort of stuff.

For those of you who prefer pictures to words (&, let's face it, who doesn't?), I give you photo's of where I'm at, now;

















CFBV

The turret is as finished as it's going to get, there are faults but ones I can live with & still be happy with the result.

Next is "mudding" ..... &, maybe, the base.

Well where your at now looks fecking marvelous 😀.
That's a very nice tracked machine of death and destruction 👏 👍
I love it .
One thing which I've always had a problem with especially with tanks like the Merkava is the gun length...a long gun would balance the tank out more..think I'll do that with mine ..at some point 👉 👈 

Thanks, mate!

I don't have my ... Meng? ... Takom? ... Merkava 4 where I can check the gun length but the Academy kit is the LIC version, which I've read was specifically fitted with a short-barrel gun to operate within towns & cities, where a long gun can have significant issues traversing amongst the buildings & rubble.

Quote from: Old Wombat on August 13, 2023, 09:49:12 PMThanks, mate!

I don't have my ... Meng? ... Takom? ... Merkava 4 where I can check the gun length but the Academy kit is the LIC version, which I've read was specifically fitted with a short-barrel gun to operate within towns & cities, where a long gun can have significant issues traversing amongst the buildings & rubble.

Welcome mate 😀
It makes perfect sense to design a tank to fight in a mostly urban environment...movement would be knackered if ya fitted something like the L55 120mm gun but damn mate..it would look far cooler 😁

Quote from: Wardukw on August 13, 2023, 10:00:19 PMIt makes perfect sense to design a tank to fight in a mostly urban environment...movement would be knackered if ya fitted something like the L55 120mm gun but damn mate..it would look far cooler 😁

You've got me thinking about a L55 120mm (based on an Orange Hobby Rheinmetall 120mm L55 for the Academy K2 Black Panther) for the Royal Australian Marines, now!

Long barrel 120mm on the open plains of Australia would be useful*.




[*: Especially if able to fire all of ammunition that the Israeli 120mm can put down the tube.]

Quote from: Old Wombat on August 14, 2023, 01:30:20 AM

Quote from: Wardukw on August 13, 2023, 10:00:19 PMIt makes perfect sense to design a tank to fight in a mostly urban environment...movement would be knackered if ya fitted something like the L55 120mm gun but damn mate..it would look far cooler 😁

You've got me thinking about a L55 120mm (based on an Orange Hobby Rheinmetall 120mm L55 for the Academy K2 Black Panther) for the Royal Australian Marines, now!

Long barrel 120mm on the open plains of Australia would be useful*.




[*: Especially if able to fire all of ammunition that the Israeli 120mm can put down the tube.]

It's called NATO standard ammo...using the combustible cased 120mm ammo ..all smooth bore 120mm guns can us it 😁
From then on it's goodie goodie time 😄

That model is looking good

Thanks, Jakko!


@ Phill: IMI 120 mm gun (MG251/MG251-LR/MG253): They fire a family of ammunition developed by IMI, can fire French, German or US 120 mm NATO ammunition if required, and also fire the LAHAT anti-tank guided missile.  (per Wikipedia)

Quote from: Jakko on August 14, 2023, 01:48:39 AMThat model is looking good

It is indeed 

Thank you, too, Chris!

Incredible paintwork & weathering           

Quote from: Old Wombat on August 13, 2023, 08:39:14 PMThe turret is as finished as it's going to get, there are faults but ones I can live with & still be happy with the result.

"Faults" are just "incidental, unplanned weathering"

Thank you, gentlemen!  

Quote from: scooter on August 14, 2023, 08:25:41 AM"Faults" are just "incidental, unplanned weathering"

Or "frost on the machine guns".

Nice!!