I had a question on the main board about droids, and put a WIP pic or two up, but thought if I was going to continue with this blog, I should move it to a more appropriate section, so here goes:
Some time ago, I saw a CG (WoT) image of a Merkava turret on a Magach hull, and thought it would be a nifty "what-if" build. I'm also participating in a "Fantasy MBT" GB on another forum and thought I'd go ahead and continue with a WIP over here. I've begun with a laft-over Italeri M60 hull and an Academy Merk2 turret. I would have preferred to use a Merk3 turret, but this entire build, with the exception of the droid, will be from the spares stash, and I didn't have a Merk3 kit I was willing to take parts from.
Hull is built up using Italeri upper and lowers, Academy suspension arms, Academy Merk2 road wheels and sprockets, and Academy road wheels for idlers. Supports for the side skirts is plastic stock. Rear of the hull (engine access doors) is plastic stock and grills from a Trump M1. Belly armor is plastic stock and a few bits. Side skirts are plastic stock with hangers from the Academy Merk2, most of the mounting spring cut off so that I could mount them on top of the skirt modules. I've begun some turret roof armor, once again from plastic stock. All comments are welcomed, good, bad or indifferent.
Pics:








Thanks for looking!

Now that is cool!
Doing my own whif on ML ('cause I can't post on here. Don't know why). I'm doing a M33 Gen. J.B. Hood. It's the M103 chassis with a new turret, and a nose job.

I thought mine was cool, but your's takes the cake!

Thanks!
I'm watching yours on ML, I like it.

Want to bounce something off you.
I have a spare set of M60A1 ERA armor. Do you think a M46 style turret would good in it?

Personally, I think the ERA is too "modern" for what you're doing, but it might be worth sticking some on with blu-tac to see what it really looks like. I've got parts gathered for a speculative IDF M46, and I've been wondering almost the same thing, if the Verlinden Blazer packs I've got in the stash would be out of character or not.
On another note, thanks for the "reminder", I've got a few sets of that same ERA sprue floating around, might be useful on this project!

Looks good. Some impressive scratch building skills.

Looking forward to see more.

I think your on the right track with the IDF M46. Look at all the mods they made to the Sherman alone. They would have kept upgrading the M46, until it was no longer effective as a tank, then they would turned the chassis into an SPG/SPH, or an APC, or something.

So I think an M46 with Blazer armor, and a upgraded main gun, would be cool looking.

Can you fit a 105mm gun from a M51, into that turret? Should be able to.

Jesper, ,thanks!
Mark, I think the 105 from the M51 would go, looks to me like the M26 turret is plenty roomy. I even have all the turret parts from a Tamiya M51, and a couple of Dragon kits too, but you've brought up a very interesting point: Aside from it's age, the other reason the M51s were retired and sold off is the fact that the French 105 was judged to be no longer effective against it's projected adversaries. So, I was thinking more along the lines of the L7 105, maybe even jacketed. Waddaya think?
Not sold on the Blazer ERa yet, though. I kind of want to do something along the lines of "What if the French got M47's soon enough that they sold M26's to Israel instead of Shermans?
I'm also thinking about possible engine deck changes, ala M51, since the M26 was under-powered, and used a V8 Ford, so there's for sure room for a Cummins in there.....
Anyway, I'll be starting this in March (?) for the "What-if V" Campaign.

Love the L7 idea.

Just be careful about upgrading it too much, or else you will get an M47.

Exactly!

T/C cupola:

Original use, for a worry stone. You look like you are having way too much fun.

Don't tell anybody, I am.

A wee bit more: Tail lights, commander's sight and loader's vision device:



ET droids are here, RWS on the way, gonna be interesting to see if I can fit all that on the turret roof and not have this thing looking like the Beatles' Yellow Submarine....

Keeping in mind how busy the turret roof is, here's my "solution" for mounting the RWS, less the supports that will be added to the far end of the mount, to the turret roof:


I have some rolled-up sandpaper in the cupola to hold things in place for pics, since I can't attach any of this until painting and weathering are well along.
And while I was there, I started adapting the Merk3 gun tube to the old Merk1 canvas-covered mantlet by filing off everything that looked like canvas on the old mantlet, trying to get to the mantlet on a Merk2B, with the shroud over the base of the gun tube. So far:

The gap at the top-back of my new matlet and turret roof will be covered by a Abrams-like splinter-shield.
Thanks for peeking!

I went a slightly different way with the gun tube, actually tried to copy what I think the Merk3's mantlet looks like.

And droid is built and mounted.


ACW, as always.

Still pluggin' away:


Both hatches on turret workable, not sure if I want to do figs..... Also mounted is a cable cutter. The AFV Club RWS had lots of extras on the two Stryker sprues included.

^ Blazer armor added

^ Implement attachments

Another antenna mount, some fiddly bits and the rest of the turret roof armor.

Still at it....
These shots are right before paint.



And one of the turret, in primer. The anti-slip is not showing up well yet, but I actually like it.

BTW, someone on another forum gave it a better name. It's a "Magava"

Magava (cool name!) is lookin' as sweet as expected in primer Russ - what about Merkach? ROFL

Baer
I'm digging it, man. That is cool. Be warned though, I might steal some idea's from you for a future build. Rock On!

Dicky, I didn't know you ventured over here, howdy.
Thanks, Mark. Copy away!
Time to start putting Friuls together, yay.

Gratuitous primer shots:


The anti slip shows up a little better here, I think I like it.
Possible paint, if I don't stay with the primer gray:

Which looks like this over the primer:

Thoughts?

With weathering, it probably is as good as any other. Humbroil's Khaki Drill is nearly spot on, so any khaki would be close.

Thanks for the input, Rob.

Cool build, by the way. And actually feasible.