Has anyone seen an available 1/35 scale model kit of a M50 "Ontos"? It was very small piece of armor with 6 mounted cannons (I'm not sure what type). It was used as a bunker buster during WWII. Take a look at the pictures by going to my link, look under "armor photos" and scroll toward the bottom of the page and you'll see what I'm talking about. This was an obscure piece of armor, not very many were built (around 270) but it is really neat looking, I'd sure like to build one.....

It was mounted with recoiless rifles. And I am not sure if they are around in WW II though, saw tons of them in Vietnam war though.

I believe there is a kit out there, a while ago heard Sabot had mentioned something about it, maybe you wanna check with him,

Howdy SFC,

First off, a warm welcome aboard the site! Glad to have with us.

To your queries about the 'Ontos'. The only 1/35th scale kit I'm aware of is/was made by Hobby Fan, kit #HF003. It's made in a very light-weight resin, and is quite the challenge to build. I also believe Renwall made a 1/32nd scale version some years ago. Not sure of it's assembly quality.
The six 'cannons' you refer to were in fact, six (6) 106 mm recoiless rifles, which could be fired either singularly, paired, or all at once. It was used during the early years of the Vietnam War...don't believe it did any 'bunker-busting' in the forties though.

hth.

Tread.

P.S. I own the Hobby Fan kit.

With any luck, maybe animal will 'pipe-in' here as well.

Ooh, just remembered. It's nickname I believe, was the 'Pig'...

The only injection kit was an old Revell kit form the late fifties or early sixties. It hasn't been released in ages.

My apologies for the incorrect facts on this particular vehicle, I took my data off of some Camp Atterbury flyers. OOPS! #:-)

I'd really like to build one of these things, I have spent alot of time climbing on the display piece at Camp Atterbury in Indiana.... really a neat little creature! I appreciate all of the info that y'all are providing, it helps.

Ooooooh really SFC? You've been "climbing" on a displayed M50 Ontos??? WELL! I know just precisely how you can help out your fellow Armorama members. Next time you go "climbing" around that thing, would you PLEASE be so kind as to take about a million photograghs of the darn thing!?!

Seriously, there aren't many of them left in the world, so some walkaround/reference photos would be just dandy! You can post them to our reference library right here on site.
Whadaya say?

Tread.

I'm going back tomorrow for a Homeland Security class, I'll take my wife's digital and shoot as many as I can fit on my memory card. I have a couple of pictures of this thing posted on my webshots page (go to webshots and search members, my user ID is "stjohnba"). If you'd like, send me your email address and I'll email you all of the good pictures tomorrow evening when I get home....

I have a photo copy of the complete Marine Corps TM on the Ontos. If anyone decides to work on one, let me know I would be willing to provide them whatever information they may need.

Best regards,

Brent

Wow guys! That is great news from both of you! Many thx to you both. :-)

To SFC: Don't really know where to start as far as pictures are concerned. I suppose a few of the lesser seen angles would be of help. Most of the few photos I've seen are generally from the front and front 3/4 viewpoint. So, shots from behind, the rear 3/4, around the tracks themselves, and quite a few of the main gun carriage (again from the rear). On my Hobby Fan kit, the 106mm rifles are the weakest mouldings of the entire kit, so I'm planning on replacing them with Skybow's AM set. So pics showing how they are mounted to the gun carriage, as well as the MG mount in between. There's also some question as to the proper placement of the pioneer tools, jerry cans, exhaust configuration, etc. But I'm not sure your wife's digital camera has enough spce on it's memory card! :-)
Thx again for the effort. My email address is in my Profile.

To sgtsauer: You've got the complete TM huh? Geeeeeez. Depending upon how many pages it is I'd love the whole thing! But, what I'm really after is pics and schematics of the same things I mentioned above to SFC. The gun carriage being the focal point of the vehicle, it obviously has more inherent detail than a simple photograph can convey. So, any help along those lines would be great! :-)

Again, thx guys.

Tread.

Below is a link to a past thread about the Ontos. Rob (Sabot) had some sage advice about the Renwal kit.

Shaun

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/16110&page=1

ALCON,

I just finished posting quite a few "walk-around" photos of the M50 on my webshots page along with walk-arounds of the M4 Sherman, M42 Duster and a couple pictures of the DUKW. Tomorrow I plan on getting photos of a M88A1, M1 & Bradley to post. I'll let you know when I get them uploaded.
If you would like to see them just go webshots and search members for my user ID, it is stjohnba.
Thanks for all of the info, it's much appreciated!

Wow, StJohn. I didn't know they had all that stuff down at Atterbury. I live in Marion and it might be worth a road trip. Can anyone get on the post to take pictures?

Shaun

Many , Many, THANKS SFC!!! U DA MAN! Excellent photos and walkaround images, really nice.
Appreciate the effort you took for us all.
They will all come in handy.

Tread.

Camp Atterbury's War Memorial is right at the post entrance, you don't have to actually get on post to get up close and personal with the display stuff. They have quite a few pieces of equipment on display, here's a few: M901 ITV, M60A3, M47 Walker Bulldog, M59 Personnel Carrier, M4 Sherman, DUKW, M50 ONTOS, HMMWV, M37 Jeep, small cannons (I'm not sure of the models), M42 Duster, Huey Helicopter, "Honest John" Missile Launcher, M110 SP Howitzer and some others that I can't remember.
I have several pictures posted on my Webshots page under "Armor Photos" that were taken at Atterbury....
You should take a trip down there, it would be worth it!