Ok every one Ihave started this project some days ago and I'm now back on it. First let me tell you guys why I'm building this version. I first saw if on the bub tub when the Palestinian group Hamas kidnaps an Israeli Soldier. In one of the new shots I saw a line of realy Futuristic looking tanks. AN at the time the Wolf Blitzer got the type of the tanks rong. As he said and E-Mail came in askinf what type of tanks they were. He said "Merkava Mk IVs" Israels MBT. An at that time I said to my self and then on another day to my Israel born girl friend, that I must build that tank.
So to make a long story short my girl pointed out that the tanks in the news report in realy a Mk III with some type of turret armor. So I got my hands on an Academy Mk III and wated to a online BG go started to start my work.
So here's some of my scratch building on the turret.








I found that the MK III BAZ version had two round hatches. So I build a new one.


I stoped there and jumped to the building on my chassis. I started ti build the interior. Starting with the rear door of hatch/ramp.




I wanted to build an interior in my turret but I'm going to need better photo or a realy good Mk III cut away. So a cut out the right shape holes in my front gear wheel, so It would look a bit more realy.




I also found a realy good photo of the rear roller wheel and made my kit wheels look like the 1:1 wheels.




At this time I got some books on this tank that show that some used rubber tiers and some used steel wheel. Well on my build I want the rubber wheel look. Now in books say that the next to last roller wheel/tire should be the same not that bladed wheel you get in the kit. So I made a mold and cast some new wheel to replace the bladed wheels.






I must say they came out realy well even if I used old resin. We I jumped back on my main gun to fix some of the things that were rong with it. From all my photos I see that starting fron the end of the gun barrels hole. there are 5 straps and that is right, so that can stay. the sound suppressor needs to be shoothing out and I do see some small hools?? not hooks but tabs with holes in them. I count 4 two at the top right & left sides and the same at the bottom. Now I have not done this yet as I just got in a Resin upper hull and I need to do some work on it first.
Ok back to the gun barrel. just after the sound suppressor the gun barrels length was cut short to look like the phtotos online and in the book., Here my work:






Now I will get back to work on the gun barrel, but for now I need to do some major work on the Legends MK.IIIC/D upper hull. Ok I find that the resin hull is a bit short. In this photo you can see the two hulls side by side.

I made shour that the bottems were flat so you could see that the length of the Acad kit hull is from my point of view the right length. After looking at the Legend hull for some time to day I found all the places that had bean cut to rebuild the original that this copy was made from. In this next photo after finding the cut lines I mached up the fronts on the two hulls to see were I need to cut the resin hull to fix the length. At this time I thought mabe I can just add the Acad kit hull rear end to the Legends front half to give the hull the right length to fit my chassis.

Now I know some of you my say, just cut your chassis down(NOT!!) going to do that as I have pointed out I started to build and interior and now even if I have not shown yall the new interior work , it's a lot in it now. So I must fix the upper hull. What do yall thank?-(what do you all think?)LOL
No once an only if I do this , I will need to move only 3 things from the resin hull seen in this side by side photo and then the close up.



Ok just let me know how you all feel about my idea on fixing the hull. Oh an about using the word sound suppressor, I realy dont know what to call that thing on the gun barrel.

Oh yea any one know if the new Academy Markava MK IV has comr out or when it may come out.

This looks great! Keep it up. I've been considering doing a Merkava for a while now.

Scott

"A bore evacuator" Thanks White4 and I have more new photo to post, as I have som new info on the width of the Merkava hull. I have jumped on to cutting up the two hulls and a new problem the resin hulls width is a mm short. So i'm fixing it now. Oh and I'm using my caliper to let you all know just how much to cut of if you do indeed get the Merkava resin hull or full kit. Any way thanks for the right work (bore evacuator) and comments. See you all on the 11/21/08 US day and time, later that day for all the new work and photos.

wow, great work so-far. Interior too, you say?

Yes I have build seats and controle panels but I don't have them mounted yet. I got some work done yesterday just before I stabbed my hand, here what I have so far.


Like on the first part that was made my the modeler for Legend, I to cut the rear section in half. An I must say it worked.






After some cutting and sanding I got the 3 rear parts put in place.




The turret fits well an now I think I can say I'm back on track. Once the putty drys I can then place all my rear interior parts in place. The drivers section will take more work, as the upper hull is a bit thick so a lot of sanding is needed.

OUCH! that is a very clear detailed shot too. Good photography.

So If I do understand your blog you are building 2 hulls ?
Look really great work
And i hope you fell better with this wound
Cheers

Great job ! but ACADEMY barbette big and long ?

I think I need to once again point out that the Academy's stock hull seams to be longer that that of the Ledgends hull. and in closer inspetion I see that the resin hull had bean modified. I thing the builder of the first hull that was used to make this resin cast modified the hull a bit to fit the chassis he or she worked on. So the legends upper hull and chassis must fit togethere more properly, that any one just using any one part like I was trying to do. For me to modify the upper hull to trealy fit my academy chassis properly, I would have to modify the front of the hull and the rear of the hull to fit my stock kit chassis.
It realy looks to long berserk6300

seb43 [Quote]:So If I do understand your blog you are building 2 hulls ?
No I'm useing part of the legend hull to bring the upper hull up to date in it's style. See the hull of the stock Merkava MK III is a bit different than that of the MK III D BAZ unit. So in looking at the two hulls side by side. One can see the differences between the front portions of the hulls. {As seen in photo17 and 18 of my first post.}
As for my wound, I think of it as a models scar. It's realy deep So I will be back to work on 25th or 26th. As I do need to get the chassis of my M3A3 bradley done as well.

"KoSprueOne" poping that shot with one hand was just luck. Some time's I can do a good job in controlling the camera.

Thanks every one for your comments and wisdom.

Here's some up-dated photos of my on-going progress.

"From this to that".








Yes and I know it has a lot of flaws.

Caveman reguardless of your flaws some serious scratchbuilding you have going on.
I wish I have some of your scratch building skills.
Keep us posted.

It's good so see this project active again, I saw it a while ago in the IDF-in-scale Forum. In fact, this was my inspiration for doing the same, but w/o resin bits, only using spare parts from an Academy Merkava IV. here's a comparative between Academy's Mk.3 barrel and Legend Productions' Mk.4 barrel (the same used by Mk.3D):



The fume extractor's diameter is OK, but note that the fume extractor is a bit forward (almost 2.5 mm) in the Mk.3D/4 barrel, I think this is an Academy's barrel mistake. I have my project on stand-by due to lack of info, but I think you can help me. The armor on the turret top of your Mk.3D seems OK to me, could you tell me the thickness of that plate? A perfect front wiew of your turret will help as well, I don't want to give my turret wrong side angles (to the turret side armor), so I'll use it for giving the same as you. Keep on the good work. Best regards.

José.

I'll take some new fron on photos and post them a little later. Ka?

Ok José here's your photos of my turret. The thickness of the top plate is (and) I used a caliper to get this is 2.6mm or 0.10in.






So far as the small slices or disc's I only got 0.3mm or 0.01in thick. I hope this helps. Now as for my gun barrel, I'm going to think on it for wile longer and keep working on my turret. but I marked spots where I will cut and or remove.


Now I have a photo of my start on building the turret armor plate that I have not shown so I'm posting or well adding it to my first photo post. So we can keep this build in order. So scroll back up to see the block shapes glued to the turret.

Thanks a lot for the pics. You really caught the shape of the turret. I hope mine come as good as yours. Best regards.

José

Cool José wate till later today and you will see even more work done. I my self can't wate till I start on my turret basket. I'm working on some realy small detail that I must add to the sides of my turret armor and all the resin MGs. Oh and I done know if I told all of you but I a big "cheap skate" I live for the sale. I will stop work on a project till I see that parts or items I want on sale. An some-times if I realy want it bad I'll scratchbuild it.
See a Real "Cheap Skate"

This is the last time I cut down my barrel. I used the barrel holder as a reference point, and use a photo of a real tank to help.




I have add some more stuff.

Next I'm going to scratchbuild the turret-basket with only one PE part.

Non Skid

Turret basket came out realy well I think.

Now on to the ball and chain, I must tell you that you will need to just glue the ball on to one of the links of the chain.




The chain it eazy to cut seeing that it's only thin copper.


Later guys.