1/35 Modified German Pattern 75mm-gun Type 5 Tank Kuroi-hyō - FINISHED

Old Wombat · August 20, 2019, 08:53:50 AM

I've started this build & already made 2 blood sacrifices - I'm hoping that's a good sign.

Things are moving fast, too fast for photo's right now but I'll try to get some up.

So, starting with this kit:

I am making a Japanese produced version.

For what was supposed to be a "quick & easy" build to re-fire my mojo, it has quickly morphed into a series of major styrene surgeries & modifications.

Initially all I was going to do was close up the undersides of the sponsons over the tracks (haven't got to that bit, yet). Now, the gun, turret & hull have all been chopped, re-arranged & glued back together. So, there's a spot of PSR in my near future.

There are a lot of Tamiya's old "toy" elements to this kit & I really can't fix all of them, so I'm not going to. The holes for the electric motor switches & the running drive, etc., are as filled as I can get them without going stupid & I'll just diorama the beast belly down in a rice paddy, so the worst of it is hidden.

Big thing, though, is that I'm having FUN!

This is modelling as I like it; BIG, bold & b_r_o_a_d, not the finicky 1/350 micro-surgery I've been doing on the ships for the Floaty GB over on BtS.

Yep, the mojo is flowing back & I'm LOVIN' IT!!

Old Wombat · August 20, 2019, 05:48:34 PM

Yeah, we do.

The ships are still there & I'll work on them but not as urgently as I was. If they make the end of the GB, great! If not, so be it!

Maybe not the best attitude, seeing as I'm the moderator, but better for my modelling mojo, I think.

Right! Off to do some PSR before work!

Old Wombat · August 20, 2019, 06:44:17 PM

OK, this is where I'm at:

Quick & easy!

Front armoured housing on the mantlet is to protect the recoil cylinders. The Japanese didn't usually do this but I'm assuming they learned from the Soviets, who did.

Driver & radio operator positions switched sides.

TC switched sides. Gunner left where he is but loader moved behind him. The Japanese 75mm Type 5 gun appears to have usually had the loader on the left, so it works.

Loader's hatch at the rear of the turret switched sides, too.

Much of this is because, like the Brit's, Aussies & Kiwis, the Japanese drive on the correct (left) side of the road.

zenrat · August 21, 2019, 04:24:06 AM

Fun? FUN? FUN!!!
You're not supposed to be having FUN! This is a serious business.

I've never thought about which side of a tank the driver sits. Now i'm going to have to look at making sure all PDRV armour is RH drive. Which side do Russians drive on?

Dizzyfugu · August 21, 2019, 04:34:07 AM

Left.

zenrat · August 21, 2019, 04:36:40 AM

T(h)anks Dizz.

rickshaw · August 21, 2019, 05:43:25 AM

So, why do modern German tanks have the driver on the Right Hand side when they drive on the Right on their roads?

'cause the 105mm L7 gun and their 120mm gun is loaded from the left and they store extra ammunition in the left-hand side of the hull, next to the driver.

Which side the driver is on, isn't that big a deal. Tanks are bigger than virtually any other vehicle on the road. It is up to the opposing driver to avoid them, not for them to avoid the other vehicles...

NARSES2 · August 21, 2019, 06:10:07 AM

Quote from: Old Wombat on August 20, 2019, 08:53:50 AM

Big thing, though, is that I'm having FUN!

This is modelling as I like it; BIG, bold & b_r_o_a_d, not the finicky 1/350 micro-surgery I've been doing on the ships for the Floaty GB over on BtS.

Yep, the mojo is flowing back & I'm LOVIN' IT!!

Old Wombat · August 21, 2019, 09:16:29 AM

Quote from: rickshaw on August 21, 2019, 05:43:25 AM
So, why do modern German tanks have the driver on the Right Hand side when they drive on the Right on their roads?

'cause the 105mm L7 gun and their 120mm gun is loaded from the left and they store extra ammunition in the left-hand side of the hull, next to the driver.

Which side the driver is on, isn't that big a deal. Tanks are bigger than virtually any other vehicle on the road. It is up to the opposing driver to avoid them, not for them to avoid the other vehicles...

Actually, the Type 5 gun, in those tanks it was applied to, had the gunner to the left of the gun with the loader behind him, rather than the usual commander. This left a big gap in front of the TC which I thought would be better for the driver than the radio operator (& Japanese tanks did have the driver on the right as standard).

Old Wombat · August 21, 2019, 05:57:22 PM

Just some PSR overnight & spraying the insides Tamiya TS-14 German Grey this morning.

Old Wombat · August 21, 2019, 07:56:25 PM

Quote from: salt6 on August 21, 2019, 06:47:01 PM
You'll need to move the driver's periscope, or add one, now that they swapped sides.

Already started on that.

I've removed all the armoured covers & am putting in the periscopes (x 4; 2 for the driver & 2 for the radio operator/bow gunner). I'll scratch some new armoured covers tonight.

The gunner is also getting a unity sight (periscope) to give him improved vision & target selection.

By the way, all of the machine guns will be MG34's re-chambered to the 7.7mm Arisaka round.

Rick Lowe · August 21, 2019, 09:38:50 PM

Quote from: rickshaw on August 21, 2019, 05:43:25 AM
So, why do modern German tanks have the driver on the Right Hand side when they drive on the Right on their roads?

'cause the 105mm L7 gun and their 120mm gun is loaded from the left and they store extra ammunition in the left-hand side of the hull, next to the driver.

Which side the driver is on, isn't that big a deal. Tanks are bigger than virtually any other vehicle on the road. It is up to the opposing driver to avoid them, not for them to avoid the other vehicles...

The Abrams and the Challenger have the driver in the middle, thus solving that particular puzzle - they can swap sides of the road to suit whichever nation they're in at the time.
Or they can straddle the centreline, and the driver can use that as a guide to keep him (or her) self on the road.

PR19_Kit · August 22, 2019, 12:46:35 AM

Quote from: Rick Lowe on August 21, 2019, 09:38:50 PM

The Abrams and the Challenger have the driver in the middle, thus solving that particular puzzle - they can swap sides of the road to suit whichever nation they're in at the time.
Or they can straddle the centreline, and the driver can use that as a guide to keep him (or her) self on the road.

Or they can drive just where the hell they like, who's going to argue anyway?

Rick Lowe · August 22, 2019, 05:05:21 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on August 22, 2019, 12:46:35 AM
Quote from: Rick Lowe on August 21, 2019, 09:38:50 PM

The Abrams and the Challenger have the driver in the middle, thus solving that particular puzzle - they can swap sides of the road to suit whichever nation they're in at the time.
Or they can straddle the centreline, and the driver can use that as a guide to keep him (or her) self on the road.

Or they can drive just where the hell they like, who's going to argue anyway?

There is always that option too, of course...

Old Wombat · August 22, 2019, 08:09:04 PM

On the painting table getting a shot of primer.