Tank Engines(Old School)

Now, for a grain of salt, tank engine hatches tend to be small, heavy, and protective.  They do not always show that much engine when opened.

It can be worth it to check out (LTC) Nick Moran's Inside the Chieftan's Hatch series of videos to see how little tank engine often "peeks out."  (The videos are a cool walk-around on various tanks as is.)

Verlinden has made every version of the Sherman engine (radial for the M4/M4A1), twin diesels for the M4A2, Ford GAA for the M4A3 as well as the Chrysler multibank engine of the M4A5.

Verlinden made many tank engines throughout the 1980s, 90s and up until their demise.

Going way back to the old Renwal M47 Patton tank, it had an engine as did the Italeri M47 Patton tank.

Virtually every old Bandai 1/48 scale tank model came with an interior and engine.

None of this is new.

Many of the newer tanks come with engine interiors, sometimes complete, removable engines, other times just a token fixed piece that allows the builder to display the engine access hatches open.

Italeri's first venture into the Abrams included a full engine with removable engine deck.

I think the ultimate Abrams engine kit is included in the Rye Field Models M1A1/A2 with full interior. https://www.scalemates.com/kits/rye-field-model-rm-5007-m1a1-m1a2--1004296

Here is just a sample of the items that have been available for decades, forty years or more. https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=560516194&sxsrf=AB5stBjKd_kFX_Q6kqg8wuJPN0aPWCi8qQ:1693158485617&q=verlinden+sherman+engine&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiSjtXwsv2AAxVZkWoFHV7uBvAQ0pQJegQICxAB&biw=1699&bih=804&dpr=1.5

Hey Rob, nice of you to add those old Bandai 1/48 scale tanks. I built every one of those Mk-IV's (D & H), Panther G's, Tiger I E's and Porsche Turret King Tigers, 251 Halftracks. They all had detailed interior engines, and althought I put them together in the tank, they were always hidden by their hatches. One thing though, Bandai, made very good kits.

Italeri's M47 had a basic power pack of engine and transmission that could be displayed opened up as I did on mine. I added more detail in there based upon the Tech Manual. I still need to finish the mechanic figure for this...

Italeri's Panther A also includes part of the engine that has an openable hatch to display it. I wont be detailing this one up

TigerII

Hey Rob, nice of you to add those old Bandai 1/48 scale tanks. I built every one of those Mk-IV's (D & H), Panther G's, Tiger I E's and Porsche Turret King Tigers, 251 Halftracks. They all had detailed interior engines, and althought I put them together in the tank, they were always hidden by their hatches. One thing though, Bandai, made very good kits.

I ran across the Bandai kits rather late in life at a hobby shop outside of Fort Knox in 1987. I grabbed the T-34 for like $5, and then spent many years collecting them all, or as many as I could find.

I sold many of them a decade or so ago. I bought a few that Frog repopped with peel on stickers instead of decals. Squadron just about gave them away in the 1990s, but the selection was limited. Eduard even did photo etch sets for them in the 1990s.

Bandai has a very good reputation with model kits. The Gundam HC Hardgraph military kits, Star Wars kits and their figures "Sprue Kits" were all very well done.

They make the best Star Wars kits.

Yes Sir!

       That's for sure! I got really heavy into armor in the Eighties all because of Bandai. Such precision little kits for 1/48 and bo, the detail! I started with a SDKFZ-251/1 and worked my way through All their subjects. Great models and great fun building them!

While I'm not a huge fan of the modern tanks, I might have to pick up a copy of that Ry Field Models Abrams tank, as I AM a fan of full-interiors and engines.  I'm finishing up one of the Meng FT-17s, and it has a full interior and a nice little engine/drivetrain that needed just a bit of detailing.  It goes together quite well, too.

Gene Beaird,

Pearland, Texas

Tanker-Builder

Yes Sir!

       That's for sure! I got really heavy into armor in the Eighties all because of Bandai. Such precision little kits for 1/48 and bo, the detail! I started with a SDKFZ-251/1 and worked my way through All their subjects. Great models and great fun building them!