I've made more progress on the Berlin BDE M48A1. It is ready for paint. Hopefully I will be able to lay some paint down soon, but it will most likely be a while as life keeps getting in the way.
I completed the hard rifle case. I used scrap PE straps and a buckle for the flap and strap.
I also finished the cover for the Crouse-Hinds search light. Surprisingly, the man-hole cover from an M1A1 Abrams, with a few bolts removed, fit perfectly and the bolts lined up perfectly as well.
I added the interior details to the TC's and loader's hatches as well. I used scrap PE and thin solder for the latch mechanisms. Dragon left both of these smooth and featureless on the inside.
I cut the mud release holes into the outer rear sprockets that Dragon also left off. They are at the 12, 4, and 8 o'clock positions. I used a 5/64 bit for the larger end near the outer sprocket ring, and a 1/16 bit for the smaller end near the center of the sprocket. Then cut between the holes to connect them and smooth out with a file.
A detailed description is below.
Lastly, I worked on some of the details. F-25 had a wooden box on the right rear fender. I stacked a couple of ammo boxes out of an Academy accessory set and detailed them with sheet and rod styrene. I also used an AFV Club .50 cal barrel with flash suppressor, mated to the Dragon .50 cal base. Lastly, I detailed a couple of fuel cans that will be on the turret sides.
Like I said, this may be the last update for a while, we'll see.
As always, all comments are welcomed.
