Tamiya M 41 trivia question

What you're seeing is that the painting shows the Bulldog with the turret pointing rearward and the gun in the travel lock.  It's an unusual way to portray a tank in the box art of a model kit.

i have one of these and did their M-42. nice kit but really old. the tools are molded to the hull and the motorized holes in the hull but really no big deal.

Qcarr got it. I only noticed because I am building a couple of M59 APC's using the M41 as a basis. That one has the final drive and drive sprockets at the front, the reverse of the Bulldog.

Looking at the box I was confused as that's how the tank appears to be layed out. Then I saw the mufflers and tail lights etc.

Still not sure what the TC is looking at- the Tamiya artist?

Good call, Q.

Marcus, thanks for checking in. Per above the tank is driving away from us, so you are correct if it were the front.

Wayne, If these beta's work out I'd like to build some better versions, and an M84, using AFV Club componenets. This is an old kit. The TC fig is pretty good though, the only decent early 60's one I've found so far.

Marcus: the tracks are correctly portrayed since we're looking at the rear of the vehicle.  Anytime you see chevron tracks or tire treads, know that if you look at them from the front, it should show a "V".    This was in order to push the earth out towards the side as the chevron gripped the ground moving forward.  What's really wrong with the artwork is the depiction of those two GIs in WW2 gear.  They're the anomaly with an M41 -- they don't belong whatsoever.

T26E4

 What's really wrong with the artwork is the depiction of those two GIs in WW2 gear.  They're the anomaly with an M41 -- they don't belong whatsoever.

 

Not really... the US Army is glacially slow to change out uniforms and equipment. WWII web gear and weapons such as the M-1 could still be found equipping the Regular Army into the early 1960s. Just look at the 1961 Berlin crisis photos. While WWII uniform items like the canvas leggings would no longer be seen, much of the rest of the individual gear served on into the advisory period in Vietnam with US soldiers.

check out this GI from 1961 in Berlin. 

or these guys

THE US Army flashpoint unit, the Berlin Brigade, for the Cold War of that time still has a LOT of WWII stuff. Now the M-1943 Field Jacket will work for a M-1951, or even a M-1965 type, the designs of all three are nearly identical with only detail differences such as the buttons for the fly and pockets of the M-1943 being replaced with snaps, and a zipper added to the fly. The M-1965 added velcro to the cuffs and a hood in the collar instead of a button on seperate hood.

The Tank Commander figure is very nice. I really struggled to get the guy from the Monogram M 48 to look decent, but he's just not well done. So now I have two that are better. I'll toss the infantry in the same box with the eight that came with the Patton.

By Q got it. What a strange angle to view a tank from in order to sell a model. Like showing a steam locomotive from the tender end.

If I was a kid who didn't know anything about the M41 Bulldog, I'd never buy that kit based on the box art!  Wonder what they were thinking when they did that?  LOL

“All models are wrong, but some are useful.” — George E. P. Box