Yes. But they look good though!

Looks good! I hate bustle racks, I've ended up cheating by throwing tarps over some that didn't come out right.

Basket hell:

IMG_5161 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

The tan parts: robbed from a Tamiya kit, trimmed to fit. Those AFVC parts are flimsy, but I guess that's fair, sonsidering they're pretty close to scale size. Mike, you're right, these things are delicate.

I've got a coupe of references (Desert Eagle books on  the Magach 6's) that specify how many -A3TTS tanks the IDF received, and how and when they saw action. According to Michael Mass, they got 205, in the late 70's, as part of the "Brown deals". They got the full Blazer outfit, Urdan cupola and side loading air filters, but retained the original turret bustle racks, making them easy to spot. They also kept the T-142 tracks. I'm referencing Desert Eagle book #25, pages 70 and 71,  They're referred to in one of the other books as well, not in front of me at the moment. I may be incorrect in using the fully covered mantlet, but other than that, I feel pretty good about the accuracy of what I'm building.

Interesting point: I've also got pics of -A1's having a 30 cal and mount added to the side of the commander's cupola, during the YKW. Apparently the Israelis weren't fond of the 50 in the cupola either. I'll be doing that on the Aleph. There's a few pics of that setup in the same book referenced above.

I'd read about the turret hydraulic fluid having a very low flash point, something the IDF "fixed" after the YKW by using a different fluid, something not so prone to ignition after a penetration.

Thanks for the input, always good!

I can't prove it, but I don't think the Israelis received any M60A3 TTS tanks. Most of the tanks were early model ( side loading air filters) or M60A1 AOS tanks. That's why you see alot of the side filters. Three things can out of the 73 war, one the M73 coax was crap. There was a simple fix, but it was doomed. Two, don't run the stab system 24 hours a day. It raises the temp of the hydrolic fluid pass the flash point. Why the tank got the monicor of " tommy cooker". Three, the orginal top loading air filter boxes were made of aluminum and were easly punctured by air bursts, causing the engine to choke out on the dust. On the bright side, you could mark it a as Egyptian.

Hmmm, bustle racks are probably going to be the last things that go on these turrets, and you're right Mike, they look pretty flimsy, but I squeaked through a Dragon rack for the M60 slick I did a while ago, so I'm feeling brave...   almost.

G, these are both going to be in IDF sand, two different "vintages", but still sand, so I need them pretty close to smooth.

Speaking of, here they both are after a couple hours of adding detail parts, only one part shot into Neverneverland today. Notice the Tamiya lower searchlight mounts on Gimel's mantlet.

IMG_5106 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

That's why I used a different mantlet cover on my build. That seam was a PITA to remove.

The recoil feature is a neat gimmick, but othwise useless for such a detailed model. 

Your next complaint will be the spindly, fragile bustle rack. It's not hard to assemble, it's just fagile as all get out. 

Well, if I'm building an olive drab US tank I normally add so much paint pre-shading I'm not sure the texture is overdone or not. For a camoed tank like MERDC it might be too much... 

Again looks good! Most of the AFV Club kits I've built with the recoil feature I get too much cement in there which pretty much gums up the recoil option permently. Personally I haven't been too upset over it... 

Thanks G. It's funny, I'm actually reducing the texture, down to what Tamiya and ESCI did in their kits. AFVC's texture has been the topic of discussion on several forums, mostly why they overdid it so badly, with the rest of the kit being insanely accurate. Hmmm......

So, the other turret (Gimel) caught up with Aleph, so far the only differrence being the gun tube, and the coax MG, but not visible after the gun is in the turret. I almost used the uncovered mantlet on Gimel, since the ERA installation involved a different, partial dust cover which I would have had to scratch, but I have enough pics of Magachs, usually "early" 6B's but probably a Gimel also, with the original dust cover in place, both with and without the mantlet ERA mounted, so here it is:

IMG_5105 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

A beef: the bellows part of the dust cover has a mold seam that's a real pain to remove. I've still got to do the one on Gimel, and it makes me scratch my head at AFVC, at the "recoil" feature of the gun tube. It's toy-like, seems out of place on this kit.

Lookin' fine! Really like the look of the cast surface on the turret. 

Cool, maybe that's why Tamiya left them out of all their kits! I always kind of wondered how well they'd hold up....

RBaer

More stupid but fun details on Gimel, copied from Aleph where applicable. The AFVC kit is really detailed. I can see the two in-hex adjuster bolts on the driver's hatch rest, crazy.

IMG_4663 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

FYI, those curved pieces of metal, called sand shields, that run from the fender to the taillights were often missing. I didn't even know they existed when we had to turn in our A3s and had to add 14 sets of them to the "Report of Item Decrepancy", basically the what's missing from out tanks list, when I got to Pirmasens, Germany where the POMCUS site was.

I just realized something: I'm building Aleph (technically) out of the box, something I can't remember doing since I was a kid, and that's been a LONG time ago.

So, a tale of two turrets: Aleph's is started, first step after assembling the pretty nice breech is to insert it and close the turret halves. I figured out the turret halves can be closed withouth the mantlet , which I think prevents some juggling, so that's what I did. Then it's MrSurfacer to the rescue, more of that hugely overdone texture.

I also started the gun tube for Gimel, an all-palstic multi-part affair but with very good detail. Hulls are as far as they will go in the same direction, Gimel to get ERA, Aleph pretty much done.

IMG_4876 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Not much, just the gun travel locks and the two tank/infantry phones, lucky me the AFVC kit had both types of phones (I guess more properly "intercoms") so since I needed one of each, bingo.

IMG_4875 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Thanks G.

She looks really good. Almost a shame to cover everything with paint but you'll still have the photos!

Thanks G.

I had some quality time with both today, finishing the air filters, AFVC side loaders for both. Oddly, the IDF removed the top loaders the -A3's were equipped with and replaced them with side loaders, so I duplicated that. I also subbed in some Dragon fender sections in Gimel since ESCI kind of missed the mark there. Now I have Dragon parts on Gimel as well. I also copied some under fender detail, again using Aleph as a guide. Tool box lids are all AFVC, hinge detail on Gimel added from stock.

IMG_4665 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_4667 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_4666 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

More later.

M1GarandFan

Maybe you should see how many different colors of plastic and resin you can get on it and then leave it that way! ;)

 

Lol, I like it!!! 

In all seriousness she's coming along nicely! 

Maybe you should see how many different colors of plastic and resin you can get on it and then leave it that way! ;)

More stupid but fun details on Gimel, copied from Aleph where applicable. The AFVC kit is really detailed. I can see the two in-hex adjuster bolts on the driver's hatch rest, crazy.

IMG_4664 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_4663 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_4660 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_4661 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

No bilge pump outlet for the IDF, and a couple of other small differences so far, but I'm getting close to where the two will become separate builds.

I almost started carving off the fender mounted stowage boxes on Gimel, intending to use AFVC parts, but am thinking seriously about holding off on that. I also have some Dragon parts in a box somewhere, maybe giving me an opportunity to get anouther color plastic on Gimel.

Thaks G. "Tank of many colors"?

Looks good! Glad you haven't primed them yet so we can still see the different shades of plastic from the different kits you used. 

Thanks Mike. You know, I had a thought last night, a question actually, and if it's occurred to anyone else that's been looking at this, thanks for not asking it. The question is: "Russ, (that's me) why didn't you use some of your considerable stash of M60 parts to make up a whole AFV Club kit, instead of using most of an almost complete AFV Club kit to build something that will have parts from EVERY manufacturer that makes an M60 kit?"

I'd best not ponder that too long.

So, here's the two together, fender braces all on:

IMG_4627 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

And the answer ot the question above, the Esci hull (now affectionately known as Gimel) showing the reason I model.

IMG_4628 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

The AFVC braces are closer to scale thickness than etch, I think, so I'm going with them on both, adding the missing mounts on Gimel from stock, and lots of sliced hex rod for bolt heads.

All the white stuff on Gimel is detail added to try and make it as accurate as the AFVC kit (now identifying as Alef). I just love this stuff, and it's making the process on Alef a bit more enjoyable as well.

Looking fantastic already, Russ.

Love what you're doing with the ESCI Hull.

Engine decks:

IMG_4515 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I wasn't planning on doing as much as I am on the ESCI hull, but oh well. The separate pull handles look so good....  and I have several pics of Magach6C's with the old, non-reinforced tail light housings, so I'll be leaving those around.

Also: the fenders  on the AFVC kit are so thin, they may be actual scale thickness, except on the outer edges. Very nice parts, with LOTS of push pin marks on the undersides.

Well, I'll wear it until the original owner takes it back.

So, while I'm here, I've gotten the ESCI hull caught up with the AFV Club (hereafter known as AFVC) assembly. ESCI did a very nice texture originally, so I've used MrSurfacer only to blend on the cast paieces, adding some on the engine deck. I found towing lugs and front fender extensions in the reesin box, so used those, and some more AFVC parts on the rear hull. I made up some extra towing lugs for the rear, so that means this hull will be early 1980's or newer. I have a bunch of Legends stuff somewhere, but have already hogged out the turret ring to fit an AFVC turret. Hmmm.....

IMG_4433 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_4431 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

More as I figure it out.....

Gonna have to update the tail lights on the ESCI hull, oops.

Actually not my invention. When people kick up the old threads there was someone using the handle 'Tankenstein' on one of them. It stuck with me! 

"Tankenstein" made me laugh, but hey, it kinda fits.

I wholeheartedly agree with Pawel. That was a great one Gamera. That even made my wife laugh and she thinks you're a bunch of masochists for continuing to attempt to build these things with such tiny parts that it almost makes you crazy.