Italeri M-47 WIP (Dock Scene base WIP)

Looking good Kenneth. I did'nt realize that it was still being used by some countries. In the movie 'Battle of the Bulge" it was used as German Armor. Nice paint job.

From the research I have done for this project I believe the M-47 was still in use up into the mid 90s in Bosnia along with a selection of WWII vintage tank destroyers. So yeah, they had a LONG career in the export market... :)

I like her, the old gal sure looks she's seen better days. Well done.

Thanks Steve... It's funny, given the tanks age it is in remarkable shape. Except for the bent up fenders (which was possibly done while it was being recovered) the tank is solid. It's missing the mufflers but I found a photo of one still in service with the Croats that had them removed.

The trick with painting this model was the fact that while it looks like it's in rough shape the tank is actually spotlessly clean. There is no dirt on it what so ever. There is a little surface rust here and there and the pans that hold the exhaust are pretty rusty but still very clean.

Thanks again.

Kenneth

The paint looks fairly accurate.It immediately reminded me of the Bosnian M18 in one of my reference books.

Based on the US department of agriculture's standards for bringing equipment back/into the U.S. I'd expect it to be spotless. I don't think competent recovery efforts would've bent those fenders like that, but who really knows; the only time I got fender bent up like that on my 60's was when we'd pick up some foreign object and it tried to travel between the fenders and the track. Your treatment of the wearplates on the backs of the roadwheels is very well done. I like it. (I guess I already said that)

Steve,

That is exactly what my research showed as well. That tank had to be absolutely clean before they would clear it to come stateside. I had conversations with a lot of military personnel that I know about it and they all said the same thing.

I suppose the fenders could have been bent up while in service it was purely speculation about the recovery crew doing it. The reason I said that is that the documents I found said that several groups had attempted to recover it from a field where it sat. It required two recovery vehicles to winch it from it's resting place onto a road where it could be loaded up. It wasn't an easy recovery. Again, total speculation on my part. Who really knows?

TD4438, Here is the photo that I have been working from.

FOR REFERENCE ONLY

I still have a bit of sanding to do on the end connectors but otherwise construction is complete on the AFV tracks.

As you can see from the photo I posted above the real tanks tracks are very very worn down. Now that i'm done building the AFV tracks I am grinding most of each chevron off with a dremel and then smoothing out with a sanding pen. Again, like every other thing on this build, it's tedious but necessary to authentically represent this particular tank.

That's an awesomely cool paint job and finish!

A really great idea on grinding down the tracks to show extreme wear, too!

wow, your model is looking exactly like the ref photo 

yes, nice detail touch grinding up the track pads. Goog idea 

Thanks SprueOne...

Nice looking build Kenneth!! Where ya been hidin bud, been a long time!!

Jester, I don't visit FSM to often really, just when I have something to show. I was hoping to get to come back to AMPS in Atlanta this year but it looks like I won't be able to now due to work conflicts. Maybe...

Kenneth

Hope you can make it bud!! They have moved to a different location which from what I hear is suppose to be much more accomadating than the previous one.

Just about there... A few more adjustments and tweaks and it should be done. Oh, and a simple base to replicate the asphalt slab from the photo.

The AFV Club tracks proved to be VERY VERY time consuming with construction, pad grinding and painting them but I think the end result is worth it over the kit vinyl tracks. The look I wanted/needed would have been next to impossible with the vinyl ones so I didn't have much choice anyhoo!!

Wonderful!

I've been watching 'ya and it's lookin'good!

Those worn tracks..........    such originality..... creativity!

 Often-times it's the small stuff that can really set off a great piece of work.

Some great work and I think you've succeeded in replicating your example. Really cool an different paint job.

A unique scheme on a semi-rare vehicle.A job well done.

Thank you very much fellas... I appreciate your comments. This project really didn't seem so complicated when i started and it wasn't but I badly underestimated the amount of work it would take... (story of our lives right... )

DisasterMaster, Thanks... I am very happy with the tracks but good Lord that was a lot of work. It took 3 rounds with a dremel grinder and one with a wire brush to get them worn down. Then glue the end connectors back on that I knocked off with the grinder.

Real nice.  I think it looks fantastic. You should recreate the photo and put it front of the bow of a 1/35  ship in a shadow box display.

You know... I was kidding when i said that.  But now that I think of it... how cool would that be.

 It came out great.  It looks just like the picture.  Good job on it.

This is one of the coolest builds I've seen here in a while. Very colorful, well-executed and unique.

I love it. A great build!

Very impressive detailing Dawg,great woork

Nice work all around on this one Kenneth and agree with the others about the effort/detail you put into this recreation, all paid off in the end!

Awesome work.  The paint and small details just look great.

WOW!!!   Nice work!  Those tracks look fantastic! 

Thank you folks for the kind comments. I thank you! I am working on the base for it as I type.. I said simple, not a ship in a box!! 

What I have done so far on the base. It's simply a piece of industrial Balsa Foam glued to a wood base. Cracks were carved with a steel scribe and I have begun to paint it. Still a long way to go but I am happy with the direction it's headed.