RAM's M41AS Vietnam 1968

[Old Wombat]

OK, back to my favoured field of Armour!

This build was started on Christmas Island, where I did the basics, & has been my project since finishing the Surefire & getting my modelling spot set up.

It is the Tamiya M41 Walker Bulldog, modified & slightly accuratized. The guns aren't finished, yet, & were placed for the photo's.

Quite a bit of work has actually gone into this (between dealing with the maintenance back-log & getting ready for my daughter's 18th next Monday) including scratch building the turret side bins, fitting the mount for the L7 GPMG, modifying the front guards & scratch building different rear guards, "glazing" the drivers vision blocks, putting some padding on the commanders hatch, moving the gun's travel-lock & the tools, & making a mantlet dust cover from white decal film. I, also, filled all the holes & cavities so common in 1970's era Tamiya motorizable kits.

Here she is, so far:













Hope you're liking what you see.

Comments welcome!



Guy

[rickshaw]

Very nice.  Interesting use of decal film.  I'd tend to use tissue for that sort of thing, soaked in PVA glue.

[Weaver]

Looking good! 

Someone should do a really nicely finished model using one of the old motorized Tamiya kits, but still put all the motorization gear in, preferably with a remote control. That way you can wait until some JMN bends down really close to see if the rivets are the right shape, then have it lurch towards them....

[Captain Canada]

Nice to see you back at what you love ! All the extra work has really paid off. Not sure what ( in terms of accuracy ) but the extra additions really add interest ! The guns look awesome.

[Old Wombat]

Thanks for the comments, guys!

Accuratizing:
Is very minor, mostly filling in the big spaces under the sponsons/boxes over the tracks & the holes meant for switches, etc, for the motorizing gear, & cleaning up a lot of poor joins.  Plus, all but one of the handles (which I managed to carve from the solid Tamiya block) were removed & replaced with bent wire.

Modifications:
The stowage boxes/bins are scratch built using styrene sheet, angle & little bits of rod. I wanted to add the pretty-much universal mantlet cover &, after experimenting with the poly packaging that Tamiya recommends, I knew that my white decal sheet was quite strong & kinda vinyl-like, so I tried that because it was available & wasn't going to be an extra cost, & it worked. The metallic pieces are cut from the thick foil seal from a tin of coffee. I, also, scratch built the mount for the L7, which came from an Italeri "Pink Panther" Land Rover. The front mud guards were cut at an angle, similar to that of later variants of the M41, & the rear guards were removed & replaced with "field mod" guards designed to stop quite so much cr_p getting between the sponsons/guards & the tracks &, given the new profile of the rear guards, to stop mud being thrown up onto the exhaust. Oh, & I moved the tools from the right front guard to the front of the hull, & the travel lock from above the left rear guard to the left rear of the hull.

Scenario:
This tank will, eventually, be part of a Royal Australian Marines in Vietnam diorama & will be accompanied by the Italeri "Pink Panther" Land Rover, modified for RAM service in SEA, & a number of RAM's (in vehicle & on foot). I have the story to go with it pretty well fleshed out.



Guy

[Geoff]

Cool!

[NARSES2]

Nice work sir 

You do realise Rad will be desperate to know where you got the pink (at least on my monitor) mg from ? 

[Old Wombat]

Nice work sir  

You do realise Rad will be desperate to know where you got the pink (at least on my monitor) mg from ?  

I've already told you 2 posts up, mate!

It's from the Italeri "Pink Panther" Land Rover. Looks like a partial retool of the Tamiya kit but in a particularly lary (loud/brutish) shade of pink - as if the Tamiya version wasn't bright enough!



Guy

[NARSES2]

I've already told you 2 posts up, mate!

[Old Wombat]

 

[pyro-manic]

Looking good! The detailing and mods are excellent.

[Captain Canada]

I didn't get the RAM reference at first....but now I know !

Sounds like a good plan 

[TallEng]

I didn't get the RAM reference at first....but now I know !

Sounds like a good plan 

Ah yes obvious really....
Must admit I thought it might stand for Reduced Area Matting a stealth like application used for reducing a tanks radar/infra-red signature...
But then again.

Regards
Keith

[kerick]

Here's a build article on the M-41 DK 1, the Danish version. It's in German but the pics tell the story. Might be usefull if anyone wants more whiffing inspiration.
http://www.razyboard.com/system/morethread-daenischer-m41-dk1-heng_long_panzer_forum-1327848-5807038-0.html

[Captain Canada]

I think I had the old CDN Army Ram tank in the back of my mind......

And that's a great link kerick....thanks !