Hi fellahs I´m into converting an Academy M113 A2 to A3. I´ve found some great reference pics here on the site by Vodnik,on primeportal & google search but I haven´t found much in the way of the tow-hook. Vodniks "bucket" is a fine job in all aspects & I think that the tow hook is P.E. ,whereas I plan to do it in Evergreen plastic. So far I´ve got working slide rails for the spall lining,( three sheets per side because that´s the way it looks on prime portal ,as opposed to the 2 sheets in the Academy A3 kit),revised working hinges for the small back door,top,back door latch apertures & a working commanders turret-ring. What I would like to clarify is: the back-left side ,does it contain some modified fuel tank or does it just use the back exterior tanks? What is behind the anti-spall lining interests me too. I know the engine is different but that´s one area that I won´t go into,

Hi Mike
In fact there are 4 spall liner panels per side.



Here are some pics (thanks to Sabot)
http://gallery.kitmaker.net/showphoto.php/photo/140697
The battery box is located on the left site behind the sliding panels :





HTH
Frenchy

Thanks Frenchy ,that´s all good stuff. They do show some slight differences to the ones on Prime portal which in some areas will make things easier to do.

I think Pavel just used some scrap PE to make the upper C channel. The rest looks like styrene to me. It is basically a C channel coming off the ramp at a 90 degree angle that has a bar inside it that the tow pintle attaches to to extend it. The bar is hinged with a pin at the rear of the C channel. There is a second pin that slides through the bar to hold it in the extended position, or against the bar to hold it in the folded position, which is farther out at the end of the C channel. You can see it pretty well on Pavel's below.




Also of note though, not all M113A3s have the Modification Work Order (MWO) for the extended pintle applied. It was/is an addition that was authorized when trailers started getting crushed by the external fuel tanks, not an original M113A3 factory mod. Here are a couple examples w/o it.

Gino,

In the second photo is that a cover over the cable to the trailer signal port?

Paul

Thanks a million Gino, this just keeps getting better.I don´t know why I couldn´t find some of the other photos on the site search in the top right corner ,maybe it distinguishes between capital letters & needs spaces typed in too ,or maybe I have to use a search function in the photo section.I have to thank Pavel too for sharing his work with us amongst others for inspiring me with scratch-building in styrene.

I still have some of my old motor pool photos on this site. Among them are an M113A3 interior and extended tow pintle.

Interior photos.

While most members here didn't think highly of my motor pool shots, they had their use. Here's another shot to confirm that not all A3s got the extended tow pintle.

'em. I've always found them useful.

Paul

I've always found them very useful as well. I still reference them often.

This is JUST what I´m looking for. Thanks again to everybody. Sabot you are joking right? I fail to believe that anybody could not think highly of such fantastic reference material.Maybe some would be happier to see motor pool shots of obscure one-off variations of German WWII tanks that never saw past the factory gates;each to their own I suppose. I´ve seen some armament variations for the A3 in photos with the 40 mm gren. launcher mounted with cupola & without cupola but I haven´t seen any use of them in conjuction with the modified gun-shield that I have left over from Academy IED Gun Truck.Could I possibly use it.?

I haven't seen any mounting that shield. The smaller shield is used w/smaller weapons such as the M240 MG or M249 SAW. It won't fit a .50 cal. Also, the shields come as a kit with the front shield and circular cupola shields as well. They are usually seen together.

Oh my God Gino ! I´ve just found it in use on the image report by Pat Mcgrath. At least they didn´t market it as a Gavin or Custer or Sgt.Bilko. nice to know that it´s not so difficult to convert the nice´n´cheap A2 to A3 though.

Thanks for that photo Gary.That´s the shield I was talking about but I was thinking of putting a 40 mm Gren. launcher on it . I don´t know how I missed that one ,maybe the Google distinguishes space & capital letters in it´s searches. That´s a nice shot of a side basket too. I am amazed at how wide-spread this GAVIN thing has got on the net even though there is NO official recognition. Another thing is, I can´t remember where but I´ve also seen somewhere in my searches that state that the ACAV style side gun shields weren´t used, another myth busted there.

Oh well, just goes to show you that it is possible. Notice I didn't say it wasn't possible or never happened, just that I hadn't seen them. I've learned better than to make difinitive statements like that. Also note that those are M240s mounted as well, not .50 cals.