Here's my completed entry for the Cold War Cook-Off Campaign. It is Skybow's M41A3 Walker BullDog displaying arctic training maneuver colors circa 1961. It is a tank attached to the 40th Tank Battalion in the vicinity of Fort Richardson, Alaska. Training exercise maneuvers WILLOW FREEZE took place from 5 Jan to 8 Mar 61. The US Army's arctic warfare training center is immense - a lot of terrain for units to maneuver in. Cold Warriors were trained here not only for the defense of nearby Fairbanks, Alaska - but for warfare in North Korea, Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union should the need arise.

I wanted to provide four portrait photos of the basic model before I add crew gear and park it in a scenic setting representative of early March before the maneuvers concluded. I'm not sure I'll be able to finish the base and the lot of gear I'm modeling for the tank before the conclusion of the Campaign, so the basic model kit suffices for my entry. For the most part, the weather was pretty cold and I set the model as moving over frozen ground - so no muck and icicles would be found here. Snow on the road wheels and lower portions of the hull comes later when blending it in with the completed display base.

I added some minor details to the Skybow kit, but it really doesn't cry out for them, and none changed the basic kit drastically. This is a great Cold Warrior subject to model for your collection. More detailed views of the model under construction and finishing can be found at the link I provided in the Campaign Folder - or by heading to my website by clicking the banner link below.

Gunnie

Dang,Gunnie. I give up, you win.
Superb job on the Bulldog. I guess it really was a Cold War for them!

been following this build up on your web page, and as usual incredible work, looks awesome...udaman

Bender

Looks great Gunnie!!! It looks like the Skybow kit has much nicer castings than the old Tamiya kit I have. That plus your fine painting/weathering make one impressive model.

GREAT - CONGRATS
ROBERTO

Gunnie:

Good build, great paint job. Congrats!!


Steve

Congrats, looks good...

Harm

I love the camo scheme and choice of an unusual subject. Great building and finishing as well Gunnie. Well done

Gunnie,

Great build as usual, and the painting is impressive, and the photos are great. I can never took pics that good!

Congratulations on this one impressive model!!! And Thanks for share the pics with us!

Gunnie, nice to little tank there, but i have to ask were there any problems with the kit? I ask because that is a rather nice build there and it make me want one, don't tell my though she'd kill me. hehehehe stug

This kit looks great. I really like the paint scheme on it. One question; does it come with individually linked tracks or one piece rubber ones?

Wonderful job Gunnie! Query: how'd you do the mantlet cover - most especially the clamps? When I gots time, I'll build my AFV Club M41A3 (probably next year).

As usual, nice build Gunnie, I also like the paint job, it's always nice to see something a little different. Stug if you want one of these kits you better get it quick, unfortunately Skybow is no-more. I saw one at my local shop yesterday, and I think I'll run over and pick it up today. (if someone else hasn't already)

Mike

Thanks everyone!

Like Kelley pointed out - Skybow's molds of this kit (and others) were recently sold to AFV Club. It's a rare model now. I'm glad I purchased a couple of them, and I think I'll get one more. With AFV Club already producing their own range of Walker BullDogs, I wonder if this one will continue to be produced. A shame as it is excellent.

I used everything that came in the model kit Marty - including the "dreaded" rubber band track runs. Skybow's polyvinyl tracks are wonderfully detailed and cast, no need to replace them. Being polyvinyl, however, they tend to float above the return rollers. But, if you build the model and set them into place, they will settle properly after a few days.

Stugiiif - there really isn't a weak part about Skybow's kit. I created my own problem by the assembly sequence I chose in mounting the tracks after painting. The suspension components for the Idler and #1 Road Wheel are cast to scale thickness - meaning they're easily bendable. I created a lot of stress on the parts trying to slip the track run back onto the painted model - by starting at the Idler Wheel and working backwards. It warps the alignment of the two wheels, and I had to go back and set them in place with superglue. On the other side, I began fitting the track around the Drive Sprocket and worked forward to the weaker joint at the Idler and #1 Road Wheel - and had no problems.

The second area was setting the alignment of the main gun barrel. Skybow's polyvinyl Mantlet Cover is a nice touch, but in my model, the Collar tended to push the gun barrel off centerline to the left. It's like resin "memory". To counter this little characteristic, I set the gun barrel with 5-minute epoxy, allowing me time to line it up properly and set blocks into place to keep it straight until the epoxy setup. The Mantlet Cover also has casting seams as tough to remove as Tamiya's Dragon Wagon wheels were - but just stick with it and you'll get rid of them. Without - it takes away from the appearance of the Mantlet Cover considerably.

GIB - the Mantlet Cover is cast with the clamps in place - it is one sweet casting. Hats off to Skybow! AFV Club has followed suit and now are selling Mantlet Covers for their line of Walker BullDogs - separately - so you can get one for your model when you decide to build it.

An excellent piece of work. I particularly like the finer details such as the straps on the jerry cans.

Grat job Gunnie. As usual, it's really excellent.
Bravo!!!

I like the camo scheme too,it proves there is life beyond OD.
This gets a (++) (++) (++) (++) (++) (++) (++) (++) (++) piggies rating!

Hi Gunnie great Walker Bulldog. Interesting subject as well. I liked the details and paint job.




Butch Cassidy Tanks46
Pig#3 Head Armorer (++)
DSB

Outstanding job.

I built the old Tamiya kit several months ago and was quite pleased how it turned out. Wish now the Skybow had been avilable, it is a much better kit. Never saw that paint scheme before so I learned something. Finished up my Sheridan recently, I am unable to post pics could I email tnem to the campaign leader. I did that with the ship build and Yoda set me up on how to post them. Who is the campaign chief?

Sure, I am this Campaign's Leader - send them to: [email protected]

Gunnie