Re: Logistics, The armor Update February 1st, 2011
I am finally back at it. One more Sherman down, five more to go. This is the old VP conversion of the Tamiya M4A3 to a Jumbo, M4A3E2. This model was almost 30 years old and I decided to revamp it, detail it up to today's standards, and use it at the front of the Sherman column in the Logistics diorama.
I build in many sub components until painted, then assemble and weather. This one is ready for a base coat. This shot is of all the components and details including the 4 man crew and one of the tank riders. On all eight Shermans in the column, all will have tank riders and a four man crew, so there will be 64 figures in and on the tanks alone.
Here is the hull. I have replaced several of the stamped wheels with open spoke and solid ones.
The turret with new mount from Combat models, Eduard and Aber PE. I mostly raided my scrap box and my unused PE parts to detail this Jumbo. Also note the field modification mount for the .30 cal machine gun. This was a common practice in the 4th Armored Division in 1945. They repositioned the .50 cal towards the front and mounted a .30 cal directly on top of the gunners periscope. PE from Trakz and VP used for sights, periscope guards. O.D. plastic parts from Tamiya, Tasca and Italeri. I made the MG rack on the rear of the turret with spare parts and a scratch MG mount. I thought I would have a spare .50 cal. on this tank. The gunner will be loading .50 cal. belts into two ammo cases. When they began upgunning the old Jumbos from 75mm to 76mm main guns, they also traded out the mantlet MG from a .30 cal. to a .50 cal.
Here is the Jumbo with as much equipment as I could place on it without gluing it down. I scratched two kinda complicated towing gudgeons, added a PE hull MG, PE light guards and tie downs on the rear hull. I used Stucco, an Italian putty product that I prefer to texture the turret and transmission cover as well as used it for mud on the lower hull.
Here are the crew members, I will actually cover them in depth in the fifth thread on this diorama,
Logistics, the figures. Three are from Custom Dioramics and the fourth from Warriors. Various arms and heads were used to pose them. Custom Dio PE was used for straps, belts and eye glasses.
Various equipment to be added after painting and weathering. Three MGs, two fifties, one will be mounted on the rear of the turret, and the main .50 on the turret mount. Both are Tamiya, upgraded with Eduard and Aber PE parts. A Combat Series .30 cal. cast brass, with an Aber pintle. Eduard prepainted ammo cases, and various Custom Dioramics bedrolls, kitbags and rucksacks.
More equipment, Formations antennae, Eduard fenders, Elefant tow cable, Minimeca lenses and modified VP hatches with Trakz periscopes.
The MG components.
The crew shown in place with the tank rider at the rear.
I really like using PE glasses. Before they were available, I used to make them out of microscopic wire and what a pain in the butt that was. I'll cover more of those in the figure thread.
The final shot. I'll be giving this a base coat of O.D. and let it harden while I build the remaining 10 vehicles for the diorama including the K5E rail gun.
More later!
Bob
