Found an Academy M3 on the shelf at the local styrene pusher. Nostalgia caught up with me and I just had to buy it. I built the old and not so very correct Tamiya kit back in the day, and I think this little tank is kinda cool.
It's not the most complicated kit in the world, but it needs some corrections since Academy hasn't quite done their "homework". Some shortcuts here and there, a mix of M3, M3A1 og M5 on the sprues. The interior included in the kit is all wrong for an M3, it's for an M3A1, and I will not use it on this model. Some PE from Eduard will also come in handy to replace some of parts that are both too large and too thick.
I'm bulding this one as a training vehicle from the 80th Armored Regiment, The Armored Force School, Fort Knox, KY, around 1942-43. No on vehicle tools or other field equipment will be included in this build. These training vehicles was stripped for any unnecessary equipment on the training fields. But it'll get olive drab and white stars. ;)
Started the lower hull.
Some bolts are missing on the bogeys, and Academy has taken short cuts, that I chose to address.
Front of the bogeys. OOB to the left, and modified with extra bolts and holes to the right.
On the idler suspension it's kind of a mix of versions. To the left OOB which is almost correct for an M5A1. To the right after modification to what is correct for an M3.
Academy has also taken a short cut where the idler arm bolts to the lower hull. It's supposed to be open at the end facing forward with two extra bolts, but they've made this part solid. I grinded out the closed piece of the part and used some Evergreen to make it more correct. I also added the two missing bolts after connecting the idler arm to the lower hull.
Kinda sloppy idler tensioner mechanism OOB, so I cut it of and replaced it with some brass rod and Evergreen.
Made new track guides out of 0.15 aluminium to replace the way to thick ones in the kit, "bolted" them to the bogeys with 3 bolts as the original.
Complete lower hull ready for the tracks. Not sure if I'm gonna use the individual links in the kit or take a short cut and use the vinyl tracks. The vinyl tracks has got a very nice detail, and they are also correct...time will show.
Starting the upper hull
Academy has missed out about 40 rivets on the rear of the tank and fenders. I added these with white glue and a tooth pick.
Poor research on some other details as well. The gas caps included in the kit is for the M3A1, so I had to scratch new ones from sprue an Evergreen. Just a small chain on each of the caps to be mounted before they are complete, and correct.
The Headlights are also wrong for an M3, but correct for an M3A1. I modified these and chose to update them slightly. No clear lenses are included in the kit and that doesn't look good. I mounted the "glass" that came with the kit and grinded out the internals. Found a couple of lenses with the correct pattern that will be mounted after paint. Looks way better that silver painted glass.
I've also added some wires for the lamps and siren up front, and added Aber Browning M1919 brass barrel.
I'm kinda uncontrolable when it comes to detailing a kit, so this one got a bit more details than I opted for when I decided to build this model. It was supposed to be a "get out of the building drought model", but that thought got cancelled fairly quickly.
Well, down to business.
A small piece of chain, and a PE antenna bracket, plus an air intake mesh found it's way to the engine deck.
Some details on the air filters. Swapped the fastener bands and the attachement bracket with PE and banged up the air filter canister a little bit. I also made the bottom fasteners on the canister of some left over PE. A bit of clean up now and it's ready for paint.
The weld seams on the M3 turret was grinded almost flush with the turret walls, according to the reference pictures I've got. I tried to simulate this with stretched sprue, Tamiya glue and an X-acto knife.
Applied stretched sprue, bombed it with glue and made the seams with the knife. Left it to dry thoroughly and used a Flexi-file to round of and sand down the seams.
The mounting bracket for the M1919 machinegun are made up of a piece of solder, some PE and stretched sprue. Drilled open all vision port on the cupola and made rain covers for all of them.
The turret hatch got it's share of detailing too. I drilled open the ventilation hole on top and made the rain cover from some left over PE from my Sherman project, I also made the internal handle for the hatch of some PE from this project. The four mounting bolts for the hatch are made from stretched sprue.
The on vehicle tools are omitted on this one because it's a training vehicle, but all the fasteners and brackets should be there. These were mounted on the engine deck and rear plate . The bracket for the shovel was banged up a bit, as per a reference picture from Fort Knox.
Some detail on the rear lamps. A PE bracket, some plastic tubing to make up the rear of the lamp and a piece of wire.
A couple of "full figure" shots from right, left and above.
I this picture the rain cover I made for the cupola are visible. The ejection marks on the air filters are filled with CA-glue and sanded, if anybody should comment on that they are visible. ;)
Some clean up on the whole vehicle and the tracks are in order now, before it's time for the OD.
The tracks are initially painted and weathered. The rest of the weathering will be performed once mounted to the vehicle so I can blend it all togheter.
Some pics...
Per-Erik
