Aloha Everyone!!

Can anyone please inform me just how inaccurate the Academy's Merkava III in 1/35th scale is? I've heard rumblings here and there but nothing definitive. Is it to a point where the Legend Production conversions are a must? Furthermore is there a conversion kit to make the Merkava III offering into a Merkava IV?

Thank you in Advance!!!

Hi Kurt,
To answer your first question in a nutshell, Yes the Legends conversions are a must if you want an accurate Merk 3. I'll even go one step further and say forget the Academy kit if you want accuracy, and pick up the Legends full resin kit. Now if you want something that just looks like a Merk 3 then the Academy kit is fine.

In answer to your second question; no, there is no kit to convert the Merk 3 into a Merk 4. Though there are similarities, the Merk 4 is a very different tank. If you want to build a Merk 4 the only game in town is the Legends full resin kit.

Best,
Mike

Thanks for the heads up Mike!!

man that sucks, after watching Future Weapons last night...I just had to get one...but.. maybe I can wait for a good plastic kit.

Yeah, there has been the occasional rumor over the last year or so that one will be released. I have the Legends kit sitting on my workdesk at present (and it's been there a while , yes I'm that slow ) and it's nice, but it's not without it's "quirks" especially as it's a resin kit. If one of the mainstream companies ever releases one I'll definitely be making a purchase of at least a couple! Mr Tamiya, AFV Club, are you listening?? Pleeeease!!

Cheers,
Mike

Without TOO much uproar (I am not a big IDF modeller...I bat for the "other" team, well, the Russians anyhow... ) what are the problems with the Merk 3? Is it as bad as, say, Academy's Sheridan, with all kinds of noticable problems, or is it more like the Stuart kits where it is ok, but it could use help if you want?

i always got the feeling it was a BAD kit, but for the accidental IDF modeller, is it ok? (Just as an aside, I know what a pain it can be to quantify this problem...ala the Tamiya T-62 kit, so I feel your pain on this.)

Ive been working on the Legends Namer kit, which, with the quirks involved on it, I could imagine what there is on the full Merkava kit.
Legends Namer

Jacques,

IIRC, and without getting too crazy, the Academy Merk III kit has accuracy problems with the turret, upper hull, wheels and tracks. The painful memories have faded, but I think there were some other areas with issues as well, perhaps the side skirts and main gun? So it's on par with Tammy's T-62 in some respects.

Like Mike said in an earlier post, you could build it OOB and get a model that looks something like a Merk III. Hey, I've built a few DML BMP-1 kits, and they all look like BMPs once they're done, right? It is hard to qualify what is and isn't acceptable, accuracy-wise, especially for another modeler.

The simple solution if you don't want a pricey resin transkit? Have some fun building it, and if you're really worried, put it on a back shelf and place a few MAZ-537s in front of it. I'm sure nobody would notice the dimensional and detail issues at that point.



Just my two shekels.

-YL

YL - that is a fair assessment of what i was thinking. I guess it will have to be a OOB, don't strain too hard to see it build. I "found" one in my stash recently and thought I might put it on the fast track for building.

then again, it may be a good time to put it to the back of the pile again...

Mike and Tim,
Be Optimistic, I love Merkava too and Plastic too (and yes I also have 2 ear).
Robert Manasherob
SabIngaMartin

Please Robert, (& AFV Club of course! ) make my, and others I'm sure, year (model-wise at least)!

Best,
Mike

Yes, the merk3 from Academy should just be built out of the box. Here's mine OTB []
Check out Norman Lim's article in www.missing-lynx.com on his detail description of his Legend's Merk 4 built. It may turn you off building it if you do not have the patience.
Cheers

What was the paint colour you used for the Merk III?

the colour started off with a special brew Field Drab mix with Green & Olive Drab then layers of mist coats of Green Grey, Stone Grey, Buff & then finally Buff wash & pastel dust. All colour from Vallejo & Tamiya acrylics . []

It seems that getting the paint colour for the greyish merkava is difficult...

Hi Robert,

I must thank you for getting AFV Club to produce the Shot Kal.
Will they be producing in the future like the Shot Kal Gimel, Merkava 2C, 2D 3D, and 4?
Also what about the M60 Magach 7C and the Achzarit?

Wait for your early reply

Juljon