I recently was lucky enough to buy a circa 1957 M50 Ontos on ebay. I'm looking forward to making this kit (even though I know it's heart breaking to complete the kit after just about 50 years in the oridginal box!). I was wondering if anyone knows of a good modeling reference book that I can find to complete this kit with absolute perfection. This, to me, will be the crown jewel of my models to date. Any info is helpful....

Now you get to decide are you a builder or a collector. Can't help you with reference material but I can give you moral support have a few models that old myself, some built some not, but they will be when I think I'm good enough.

R.P. Hunnicutt's Sheridan: A History of the American Light Tank and the AFV Interiors website has some good info on the Ontos. Do a search of where their new site is. Someone posted it here a couple of weeks ago.

I found you needed two to do the inner road wheels properly.

I have to say would rather be a builder, but as you said csr, it will be a little while until I have the skill and practice to put this one together. I need a couple of serious kits under my belt before I dive into one that is not a $20 hobby shop stock item..

Buy some aluminum stock tubing to replace the rifle barrels. I cut off the various grills and hatches from one kit, thinned them out, then sanded off the detail from the hull.

Of course, I paid less than $5 for my original Revell reissue Ontos in 1982 and a friend gave me a complete but semi-started Renwal Ontos (he paid like $8 for it). I've given some parts out to fellow Ontos rebuilders (road wheels and idler) and someone gave me their old 106mm rounds. I've added a few M113 parts to it. It is looking decent.

Hi XMechGrunt,
As for reference pics on the Ontos, I think I'm your guy! I have around 120 pics including interior and details. Just let me know what you need!
Chuck

Man, I wish I could find a good deal on one

Here's a couple of sites you could use for reference:

M50 Ontos

M50 Ontos - German Site

M50 - AFV Interiors

Ontos Crewman - Loaded with links!!!

Check out the following site. Has good photos and a bunch of links to Ontos pages.
http://ontos.homestead.com/main.html
Eric

May the be with you.

I built that many years ago as a kid. (ya, probably around 1960 or so ) I guess that it went together ok, but back in those days thick as mud tube glue did all kinds of wonders.

When I got a little older, I killed it. :-)

I have seen one since and I would heed the wisdom of Major Rob... those rifle barrels (at the bare minimum) gotta go.

Just to elaborate on my modifications, a $2 piece of aluminum tube from the display rack at the hobby store was about the right size for the barrels. I think I needed two lengths to get enough tubing for the 6 barrels (cheaper than buying that many Skybow M40 recoilless rifle kits).

The inner road wheels are molded like solid halves with absolutely no inner detail. I took the worse of the outer road wheels, and cut off the molded shaft. Then I enlarged the hole until another outer road wheel half could be mated to it. Now both the inner and outer road wheels are spoked.

I cut out the various hatches, grills and access covers from one upper hull (utterly destroying it). I then sanded them down to a scale thickness and cleaned them up. I removed the corresponding detail from the good hull and replaced the new scaled panels. I also took some old M113 fuel caps and sanded them down so I could replace some of the featureless fuel caps that were present on the front slope of the hull.

An old Tamiya M113 engine was added to the interior just to give the appearance of something down inside since those grills are rather large. I also found an old tool rack from an Italeri Dodge 3/4 ton truck, a .30 cal from the parts box, generic US 5 gallon cans.

I drilled out the headlights and will add some clear glue inside to replicate the actual lenses. Bunch of clean up is necessary on rifle breech parts as is the back door area and hinges and ammo stowage rack.

I like the Ontos - I think we should organize a modeler's support group for builders of the Ontos model kit...

Gunnie

Hello, I'm Chuck and I have a problem.......

I'll show-up for the meetings... HONEST!

Howdy ,

Hmmmm, well, with Rob and Gunnie both 'piping' in here I've got to toss my cards on the table. I picked up a Hobby Fan M50A1 Ontos kit #HF003 some time back and would LOVE to build it out. Gunnie's idea of an Ontos "modeler's support group" would be just dandy!

If this idea has any 'legs', count me in. :-)

Tread.

Look at all those links Kenc' comes up with........I just love when he does that!!!

Tread.

Sabot or anyone else, with all the respect could you post a photo of a finished ontos ?