So in the new year I vowed to build 20 kits. This is my first official start for 2017. Its not quite official ( I messed with it in 16) but its going to be my focus project while I finish up a few other builds ( Pak 40, Cozmo Zero, Ticonderoga, M-7, Aliens APC, and a few others LOL)....

The kit has a nice interior, but reviewing some reference photos made me think I could do better, so here goes!!

Progress report.... Im basically closing this thing up because every time I think I have done enough inside I want to do more and its getting irritating !!! Aber brass barrels for 30 cals, and the main gun turned aluminum... some scratchy bits inside for oil coolers, and some gear and this thing is getting buttoned UP...... LOL

Your work is looking really nice, but please know that the Academy M3A1 kit is actually a late M3, not an M3A1.

Without making changes to the exterior, the interior provided in the kit is totally incorrect. Everything would have to change.

To make an M3A1, to match the interior work you've done, requires at least the following:

- remove the rivets on the upper hull as the vehicle was welded (don't remove any screws used to hold down removable covers or hatches).

- the rear hull overhand needs to be replaced as it was a curved single piece as opposed to two flat plates in the M3. It was also flush screwed in place as opposed to welded or riveted.

- There are a number of changes to the turret to make it an actual M3A1 version. I can't list them off the top of my head, but there are a number of them.

- the hull MG needs an armoured rotor guard (as shown in the Tamiya kit) and not the bare rotor of the Academy kit which is suitable for the M3.

- The M3A1 also needs armoured gas cap covers (not sure if the M3A1 kit has them).

Something that's quite difficult to fix on either kit (M3 or M3A1) is that the turret ring is about .11" too small in diameter meaning that the turret skirt overhangs the ring on the hull roof and is should be flush. I'm also pretty sure the M3A1 gets the alter style turret roller bearing mounts as opposed to the earlier covers in the M3 and M3A1 kits.



The Academy suspension is also significantly sub par. While they widened the road wheels, everything else in the suspension is worse than the Tamiya parts they copied (and yes they copied the Tamiya parts for the lower hull). I'd replace the whole suspension with either the AFV-Club detail set (which also gives you a much nicer differential cover and rear engine doors) or at least swap the parts for old Tamiya M3 parts which have much nicer details.

HTH

Paul

Thank you for that.... How do you like my Late model M-3 ??????? LOL ... its too late to take much of your stuff into account as Im trying to get this thing done for May 1st...and Ive already invested so much in the interior that to start knocking apart the hulls just not something im ready to tackle...on this one...but worth buying another kit and building another one for sure !

Well, the exterior could be modified to be an M3A1 more easily than changing the interior, to be sure. The interior is totally wrong for a late M3, so the M3A1 changes are all you've got left if you want the inside to match the outside.

Shave off the rivets as shown in the photo, modify the rear overhang to have the curved plate and then see if you can dig up armoured gas cap covers.

If you have an AFV -Club suspension set, you get them with the suspension set.

That'll get you over the hump. you can shave off the turret ring and replace it if you are of a mind, but it's less critical than the other changes. The rivets and overhang are the main recognition points between the two.

Just don't remove everything that looks like a rivet as some may be screw heads as shown in my photo above.

Paul

Keeping this one rolling along, adding some PE bits and pieces and painting the turret because I cant stand to see bare plastic! ..

An M3A1 shouldn't have the plates on the front of the sponsons, they were built without the sponson MGs and didn't need the blanking plates (which would have been welded anyway).

Paul

According to my research material, Tanks In Detail M3-3A1-M3A3 Stuart 1-V, written by Johnathan Fourty, published by Ian Allan in 2002, the M3A1 type 10 did inddeed have those sponson guns blanked off. Most of my information comes from this book and it has been used for reference.

Unfortunately, Forty's book has a crapload of errors in it and I believe that's one of them,. I believe that photo is a late M3 not an M3A1. My sources (Hunnicutt and others) M3A1s were all welded.

However, I will dig up the references and get back to you.

Paul

Id appreciate those very much, as well as any other books you consider accurate. I have been using this one fairly heavily and while I'm not stopping the train on this one, I really enjoy this vehicle type and will likely do another so for sure let me know what you have for me.

Closed it up today after a few more little bits added. Now on to the individual track links that I have never done....... the jig helps alot ... tape wasnt working as well as I hoped.... no glue yet, but I think Ill end up using watered down white glue unless someone has better suggestions??? First try with these things and I need them to end up being correct.

Nice job Brian! What brand of track are you using? I have only done one set of these individual link Sherman tracks, they were Panda, and I purchased their jig. The jig holds the end connectors on one side (10 or so at a time, I think), so they are all lined up correctly. They went together well, but it is a lot of work. The jig made the job much easier!

Hey John, believe it or not Academy offers them in the kit!!! each pad has four pins that you use to add link connectors to and that creates the track.....

Wow, I didn't realize that the Academy kit included the indi track links. The Panda track jig might work for other brands also, but I have no way of knowing, and ordering one would hold up your build.