Tamiya M113A2 WIP 2-4-14

The Tamiya and Academy M113 kits are NOT the same. I have built both. But they are (of course) similar.The Academy kit is newer and much better detailed inside and out. But the Verlinden interior should work just fine on the Tamiya kit. What era are you planning on making this 113?

I was actually thinking OIF since the figure set I have and the vehicle markings point to that era LOL. Now I definitely need to pick up Academys M113A3 that I have seen on Ebay since that kit does come with the steering wheel. Oh I do have a few Tamiya MRE boxes to go with it. though it would be interesting to have one open showing the MRE packages.

stikpusher

The Tamiya and Academy M113 kits are NOT the same. I have built both. But they are (of course) similar.The Academy kit is newer and much better detailed inside and out. But the Verlinden interior should work just fine on the Tamiya kit. What era are you planning on making this 113?

Mikeym_us

I was actually thinking OIF since the figure set I have and the vehicle markings point to that era LOL. Now I definitely need to pick up Academys M113A3 that I have seen on Ebay since that kit does come with the steering wheel. Oh I do have a few Tamiya MRE boxes to go with it. though it would be interesting to have one open showing the MRE packages.

stikpusher

The Tamiya and Academy M113 kits are NOT the same. I have built both. But they are (of course) similar.The Academy kit is newer and much better detailed inside and out. But the Verlinden interior should work just fine on the Tamiya kit. What era are you planning on making this 113?

While the Academy and Tamiya kits are not the same, it is easy to see that Academy continued their 1990s trend of copying Tamiya's older 1970-80s kits and updating/improving them to current versions in use. Just about anything made for an Academy M113 could be used on the Tamiya version and vice versa.

BUT, the Academy M113A3 does not come with the correct steering yoke. It still has the original style laterals that were correct for the M113/A1/A2. It does add the spall liners inside.

Rob are you talking about the armor plates on the left side of the passenger compartment?

Rob Gronovius

While the Academy and Tamiya kits are not the same, it is easy to see that Academy continued their 1990s trend of copying Tamiya's older 1970-80s kits and updating/improving them to current versions in use. Just about anything made for an Academy M113 could be used on the Tamiya version and vice versa.

BUT, the Academy M113A3 does not come with the correct steering yoke. It still has the original style laterals that were correct for the M113/A1/A2. It does add the spall liners inside.

There are sliding kevlar spall liners on both sides of the crew compartment interior.

Mikeym_us

Rob are you talking about the armor plates on the left side of the passenger compartment?

The spall liners are on both sides of the interior, although they are removed on the right side when the vehicle is configured as an ambulance.

I picked up Archers M113 instrument dials and placards which also includes a wet transfer option. Thankfully I have several Tamiya M113 instruction sheets which show decal placement for the interior.

I picked up a older Tamiya M113 kit with interior and I am going to use the overhead gauge from that kit on the M113A2 and use the resin replacement drivers roof portion with molded on vision blocks and gauges on the other Tamiya M113 (yes you have to cut off the original section in order to graft on the new portion.) and I ordered another Archer M113 instrument dial and placards set so I can use it on the other kit and I also ordered the AFV club tracks for my M2A2 Bradley.

I have started on the kit already and am slowly getting on with it

The only parts I have permanently glued on the hull pan are the walls and the Sponson plates.

I installed the corrected driver compartment periscopes and panels. I did need to modify the kit part to be able to put it back on the hull to do that I removed some plastic on the thick plastic spine on the top panel between the drivers compartment and the passenger compartment.

And here is what it looks like with the floor and roof installed

I'll post more in a little bit.

 

 

I did manage to get the final drive housing installed on the lower hull and filled in the hole in the right side of the hull pan using Mr. Dissolved putty.

I'll post more tommorow I am still going slow on this build and I am making some modifications to the top plate because of the resin engine compartment.

 

Ok I have added some interior components to this build I installed the fuel tank and the battery box on the walls in the hull and in the drivers compartment I added the gas pedal and the laterals as well as the throttle and some sort of lever. And in the engine bay I added a couple  of boxes.

I am still going slowly on this And I did get the interior a first coat of paint on with the air brush but since it is still cold out the second coat will be brush painted. The fun part will be building the center pillar since I will be needing that tohelp install the latch part that will be going on the roof interior. And after that I'll finish installing the last shim piec and getting the roof painted and installing  lead foil grab straps in the troop compartment.

 

Damn, I should have used this kit for my UN IFOR version...you learn something new every day,

Congrats, it will be a good detailed interior!!

I know man let alone for the kit alone the new driver compartment overhead was worth it and it should look good when done. And the Archer set should help alot too. The interior even contains a IR Periscope as well. Maybe I should get another set and keep it around if I want to start a interior for the M113 FSV that is a seriously misrepresented vehicle interior wise.

garzonh

Damn, I should have used this kit for my UN IFOR version...you learn something new every day,

Congrats, it will be a good detailed interior!!

Well I found a good site for M113 interior pictures.

http://afvdb.50megs.com/usa/pics/m113.html

I also took some more pics since I started on the small greeblies on the interior sides.

Mike,

Thanks for the great info!! My Titanic is just about ready to take her first cruise, I even got a free ticket. The ship is for my son-in-law's birthday. It's on to the armor after this.

Earl

No problem even looking around I even found a site that has interior pics of the M113 FSV just have to remember where that site was.

You do realize that the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic is coming up right? So do watch out for icebergs while your out on that cruise with the Titanic. LOL

The M113 FSV site is this

http://www.toadmanstankpictures.com/fsv.htm

very limited pictures but might help someone to do an interior.

Alpha 43

Mike,

Thanks for the great info!! My Titanic is just about ready to take her first cruise, I even got a free ticket. The ship is for my son-in-law's birthday. It's on to the armor after this.

Earl

I picked up some goodies to go along with this build.

AFV Club tracks

Legend OIF M113 stowage set

I did do some impressive work on the Instrument panel and this is the first time I ever used Archer Fine Transfer instrument dials

Work is slowly progressing on the M113 and I'll post more pictures later and those later pictures will also include the progress on the paint job I did on the infrared periscope.

I can get you a ticket, gratis, if you want to enjoy a great time on the Titanic. It would make a great place for a model show, Thanks again Mike, have a great weekend.

Earl

here is what she looks like now with the interior color but no placards

this is the front glacis armor I have painted. I'll definitely need to add the trim vane controls to this but will have to look at my references to see what shape they will have to be but I'll probably go basic since much of it will be obscured by other bits.

here is a decent overhead view of the interior I'll definitely need to grime up that engine bay to make it look used but not overly filthy. Any idea what color those boxes on the bulkheads in the engine bay are? I'd like to get those painted before I do a wash of the bay interior.

And the Verlinden set does come with the gun rack for the M16s I'll probably make barrel clips either out of lead foil or left over brass from spare Photo etch sprue. And how were the M16's oriented in that rack?

BTW the M16's I'll be using are Trumpeters M16's probably the best out there detail wise in 1/35 .

I don't know a darn thing about M113s Mikey, but to my eyes she's looking real good!  Nice work sir!  Love the track and stowage sets!

I have started placing the placards and this is the first time I've used the Archer Fine Transfer wet transfer decals and these work pretty good with any decal paper

here is the drivers seat assembled

here is a upper view with the top installed

Here is the interior with the Instrument panel installed looking good so far.

I am also working on the fire extinguishers as well

everything is going good even the shims are done on the roof.

Looks like it is coming along pretty well.  The "Danger Monoxide Gas" placards don't look right though.  They look like you cut out the thick paper and glued it into position.  Also, they should be rectangles with a red outline.

 

Also, the interior color looks too dark to me.  What color did you use?  The actual color is called seafoam green.  The best match for it is Tamiya Sky (XF-21). 

 

Lastly, the film between the uprights on the driver's seat back should be open.  It is just two verticla bars that attach the seatback to the bottom.

I'll try to drill out the holes in the drivers pedestal since I haven't glued it in. But the Danger Carbon Monoxide Gas placards only come in the black surround which is weird. As for the seat back I'll have to scratch build something as when you just mentioned that the seat back needed to be open I went and did that and the bars attached to the upper seat back cushion broke off and disappeared but they actually look like channel stock than bar stock so I'll have to look for that since I'll need channel stock anyways to make the supports for the M16s that will be installed in the gun rack.

HeavyArty

Looks like it is coming along pretty well.  The "Danger Monoxide Gas" placards don't look right though.  They look like you cut out the thick paper and glued it into position.  Also, they should be rectangles with a red outline.

 

Also, the interior color looks too dark to me.  What color did you use?  The actual color is called seafoam green.  The best match for it is Tamiya Sky (XF-21). 

 

Lastly, the film between the uprights on the driver's seat back should be open.  It is just two verticla bars that attach the seatback to the bottom.

Looks mighty fine to me Mike. I believe I am going to order the Archer Fine Transfers for my M113, you mentioned using them on any decal paper. Is this a 2 step process?

I bought the Krylon Pistachio Satin as I could not find it in Seafoam. I'll try it on a scrap piece to see how it looks before I paint the interior.

Regards,

Earl

Nope just transfer them to the decal paper then cut them out and dip into water and apply them to the model just like any regular decal. I ordered several different sizes of channel stock to see what will work with the M16 gun rack in the drivers compartment and the .080" (2.0mm)channel stock actually will fit the gun stock on the Trumpeter M16's so I have 4 other sizes of channel stock that aren't needed. But I'll keep them as at some point I'll run into something that needs those other sizes and remember the old saying it is better to have something and not need it than need it and not have it. Also I looked at the seat back and decided to scratch build the replacement bars out of laminated styrene sheet instead of channel stock. I already have a section laminated just need to cut out the right sized strips glue them in place and let set then add another smaller trimmed to size styrene sheet to the new bars to match the seat in the photo. It won't look pretty but it should look the part.

Alpha 43

Looks mighty fine to me Mike. I believe I am going to order the Archer Fine Transfers for my M113, you mentioned using them on any decal paper. Is this a 2 step process?

I bought the Krylon Pistachio Satin as I could not find it in Seafoam. I'll try it on a scrap piece to see how it looks before I paint the interior.

Regards,

Earl