hi guys ,
I just bought Acadamy''s Merkava III and I was wondering if any body out there has build it and if some one has some good reverens photos

if some one could help that would be great
TIA

Jan, check here

http://idfmodelling.free.fr/merkava3.html

There is a wealth of inof on the Merk III here. Also links. HTH "Q"

If you need some pics: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/moderne.garden/materielsmodernes.htm

Pierre, nice photos of the Merkava (from Saumur?), unfortunately not a Mark III. Seems to be a hybrid Mk.I/II. Quite the anti-slip coating on the turret!
The Academy Mk.III is based on the prototype at Latrun Museum, so to make an actual production version it needs work. Legends has a new turret out for it, also Cromwell, AEF Designs do stuff. Castoff used to make steel wheels, don't know if they are still available.

Jim

tanx for teh inf guys,

I dont want to "turn you off" that kit but Academy's Mk. III needs extensive conversion in order to resemble an operational vehicle from any period.

the main areas are:
wheels: the kit has Mk.1/2 wheels, not even close to the all steel boogies.
side skirts: doesnt feature the correct number of bolt rows.
turret: early production turret with out additional roof armor and 4th generation turret "protection triangles", the additional armor wings attached to the sides of the turret ( these have a better chance to cut the driver in two than on the older non Baz models).

AEF makes a couple of conversions to update the kit into modern standards but thats a decision youll have to make out of price vs. value consideration.
I for one would love to build an accurate Mk.III Baz one day.

Excellent refrence pics. Thanks!

Does anybody have a good close-up pic of the MG mounted above the main gun/cannon? Also, in some pics it looks like they have different guns mounted there, some look like .50 cals and some are smaller. What is the most common MG used?

the MG above the mantlet is the Browning M2 0.5 cal. refred to in the IDF as "Macakch" acronym for "Mikla Kaved" - heavy machine gun or just "Efes Khamesh" - zero five. its the only MG that can be mounted above the mantlet and is used because it has a great range and can pentrate the concrete shelters that Palestinian snipers use.

it is fired and cocked by the loader via two cables coupled to a simple dolley trigger which is nowdays being replaced by an electric solenoid firing trigger allowing better saftey and the gunner can use it independtly.