Good day to all! I recently purchased the Dragon M51 Premium Edition kit. In Mike Land's kit review he mentions that the kit would need to be backdated to match up with the kit markings provided. IDF subjects are not my forte, so I am looking for a bit of help.

I'd like to build the kit as a subject that participated in the Yom Kippur War. First, what changes need to be made to the kit to backdate it? Second, are aftermarket markings available, preferably dry transfers? Finally, if someone could point me toward some useful web sites, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks in advance to all responders!

Regards,
Chuck Connor

Hi Chuck, welcome to the site!
Below is a link to a review of the old kit done by Tom Gannon. In the review he also tells what needs to be done to backdate the kit. The changes mainly have to do with the engine deck and the rear of the hull. There are a few guys here who know more about this than I do (Gary O. are you out there anywhere??) and they may be able to provide more info. Sorry but I don't know of any A.M. markings that are available. I'll look around though just to be sure and if I find anything post it here.

http://www.mheaust.com.au/IDF/Reviews/M51/M51DML.htm

Best regards,
Mike

Thanks for the referenc, Mike. Very helpful!

Regards,
Chuck

Nice work, Gary. The photos are most helpful. Thanks!

Regards,
Chuck

Ages ago Verlinden had a couple of dry transfer sets that would provide an appropriate selection of general markings. Might still be available from Squadron. In '73 one might see some Batch 1 tanks with the solid engine deck, but most were likely Batch 2 with the three louvers behind each engine cover on the next panel. After '67 this was done to improve cooling. Batch 3 deletes the exhaust on the rear plate and moves it to the center of the engine deck as provided in the kit. Batch 4 slices off the upper rear hull plate and angles it further back (about four or five inches) at the bottom and welds in a new sponson bottom filler that angles up to meet it. Again, done to try to improve cooling.
Greg

I highly recomend that you chunk the DML upper hull and just use a Italeri M4A1 or one from the newer DML M4A1 76mm. The DML M51 hull has some shape issues around the driver hatches, and is also too long (as Gary shows). Also, as Tom Gannon points out in his outstandning book, the texture on the dragon hull is WAY overdone, and is from them seeing the layers of peeling paint from the vehicle they measured in Israel.

You may also want to redo the muzzle break, as its a tad undersize in the DML kit (not sure about the newer "premium" release). Actully...now that im mentioning that, did DML provide the same upper hull from the first M51?

Dont worry about stowage configureations....both the so called "early" and "late" arrangements were done on M51 (again, Toms book has pics to prove it). The DML kit if I remember right shows the "early" style with the spare links on the hull instead of the turret.

Gary has the rest of the mods covered, just use his pictures.

Andy

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v605/andyrenshaw/Models/M51_3_low.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v605/andyrenshaw/Models/137_3754.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v605/andyrenshaw/Models/137_3755.jpg

[quote]Good day to all! I recently purchased the Dragon M51 Premium Edition kit. In Mike Land's kit review he mentions that the kit would need to be backdated to match up with the kit markings provided. IDF subjects are not my forte, so I am looking for a bit of help.

oops, should have used the html tags for the pics...

Hi Guys,
About the Cummins engines us the fans are made to be "BLOWING"
that's why the vents on the deck are heading the way they are forword.
This draws the air though the intake where the filters are,and sceens are there to keep junk from getting in to the engine copartment.The three vents
are right above the turbocharger and the air goes right into the compartmet.This keeps the engine cool,one more thing the water pump is one made just for the Israelis this was not stock the stock ones could't keep the engine cool so a larger pump was needed.

Hey Gary...nice job, looks really good. You do really nice work. One thing, the Marlboro pack seems a little out of scale don't you think...? hahaha

cheers
Bob

Wow Andy, phenomenal build! Love the angle depicted too.

Hi Chuck,
AFV Decals made a sheet that had some IDF Sherman markings one bad thing is I beleve there OOP and I don't think the set had any 1973 YKW markings in the set.Some 1967 SDW markings and 1956 SW marking there waterslide but pertty good at that.
I can check my decals I might have a extra set.
E-Mail me if interested. [email protected]
Mike.

Great build! So, is the brass gun a custom job, or does somebody actually manufacture and sell one. I've never found one, if that is the case.
Greg