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M55 Quad 50 Vietnam - Diorama completed!!!

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  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
M55 Quad 50 Vietnam - Diorama completed!!!
Posted by Pawel on Thursday, October 15, 2009 8:24 AM

http://www.vietnam.net.pl/M55en.htm

 

Hello!

I just started building the M55 Quad 50 from the recent Dragon kit and would like to share my work with You. The kit itself looks very pretty with lots of delicate detail and even one photoetched part. The fit is good, although the trailer will need some sanding and filling to hide the mould partition lines and part joints (although on the underside). No ejection pin marks on the parts - all ejection pins use additional "eyelets" so that's great.

The mount is pretty complicated with lots of nooks and crannies and the parts "interweave" some, so I went to try something new - I'm painting the parts with black Gunzepaint and then glue them together with my favourite liquid glue. The paint melts away at the joints and I end up with parts glued together painted dark colour, even in the unreachable spots. With enough parts together I'll airbrush olive drab on them. So far I have this:

M55 Quad 50 WIP

M55 Quad 50 WIP

It doesn't look to clean, but that will change. Looking forward to Your comments, have a nice day

Pawel

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: New Jersey
Posted by redleg12 on Thursday, October 15, 2009 7:01 PM

Off to a nice start. The little parts may make it rough but it will be interesting. Keep the faith, we are watching.

Rounds Complete!!

"The Moral High Ground....A Great Place to Emplace Artillery."

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
M55 Quad 50 Vietnam WIP going on
Posted by Pawel on Thursday, October 22, 2009 1:57 AM

Thanks for the comment, redleg! Yeah, the little parts - I really fought the carpet monster yesterday. Here are the fotos, first the trailer:

M55 Quad Vietnam

M55 Quad Vietnam

M55 Quad Vietnam

M55 Quad Vietnam

The trailer is a nice assembly. It will be shown in the emplaced mode, whichmeans wheels off and jacked down. I drilled out the handles perpendicular to the tow bar. I also had to cut off the locator pin of the taillight, or else it would have to be installed upside down. The underside needs filling and sanding if you are picky, you can see the mentioned area primed inblack on the foto. You can also see the olive-green replacement to the part lost to the carpet monster. Fit is good, there are only ejector pin marks on the wheel attachment points and detail is also good.

Next, the power charger:

M55 Quad Vietnam

M55 Quad Vietnam

That assembly has a minor problem, according to my TM fotos - the whole machine is a bit too far back on its sled. I tried to remedy this by instaling an additional part between the piston and the part with the fuel tank, and also by relocating the generator's attachment point. Still left to do are the carburetor, exhaust and the ignition line and carrying handle (last two missing in the kit).

As always looking forward to Your comments, have a nice day

Pawel

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: New Jersey
Posted by redleg12 on Thursday, October 22, 2009 5:22 AM

Moving along. The carpet monster will get you every time!! Always good to look at the TM....the kits may be off many times!

Keep up the good work

Rounds Complete!!

"The Moral High Ground....A Great Place to Emplace Artillery."

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 6:55 AM

Thanks again redleg!

Aren't that two of the top ten modelling problems - the carpet monster and the kit inaccuracies?

Anyhow, goin' on with the build. Recently I finished the power charger. I added the carburetor, and also replaced the kit exhaust (partially) with copper wire. I also used the same wire for the ignition cable and the carrying handle. That's what it looks like:

Quad 50 gunner Vietnam

Quad 50 gunner Vietnam

I also assembled the battery. I added the hold-down pin, also from the same copper wire. By the way, I pulled my wire from an auto battery cable, I recommend this source. The battery, yet unpainted looks like this:

Quad 50 gunner Vietnam

Just after pasting the picture I noticed I still have to scribe the joint where the batteries meet at the sides. Just another example how this forum helps make better modelsShy [8)]

And the big question for all: What color would such battery be? Would it really be olive-drab? Could some more civilian color be realistically used for variation? Thanks a lot in advance, looking forward to Your comments, and have a nice day

Pawel

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: Piscataway, NJ!
Posted by wing_nut on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 7:20 AM
Looking good Pawel.  Nice start on one of those, "You don't see that everyday." subjects.

Marc  

  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Kincheloe Michigan
Posted by Mikeym_us on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 7:16 PM
 Pawel wrote:

Thanks again redleg!

Aren't that two of the top ten modelling problems - the carpet monster and the kit inaccuracies?

Anyhow, goin' on with the build. Recently I finished the power charger. I added the carburetor, and also replaced the kit exhaust (partially) with copper wire. I also used the same wire for the ignition cable and the carrying handle. That's what it looks like:

Quad 50 gunner Vietnam

Quad 50 gunner Vietnam

I also assembled the battery. I added the hold-down pin, also from the same copper wire. By the way, I pulled my wire from an auto battery cable, I recommend this source. The battery, yet unpainted looks like this:

Quad 50 gunner Vietnam

Just after pasting the picture I noticed I still have to scribe the joint where the batteries meet at the sides. Just another example how this forum helps make better modelsShy [8)]

And the big question for all: What color would such battery be? Would it really be olive-drab? Could some more civilian color be realistically used for variation? Thanks a lot in advance, looking forward to Your comments, and have a nice day

Pawel

I think you need to add 2 more hold down pins since it looks like it has 3 pins.

On the workbench: Dragon 1/350 scale Ticonderoga class USS BunkerHill 1/720 scale Italeri USS Harry S. Truman 1/72 scale Encore Yak-6

The 71st Tactical Fighter Squadron the only Squadron to get an Air to Air kill and an Air to Ground kill in the same week with only a F-15   http://photobucket.com/albums/v332/Mikeym_us/

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: New Jersey
Posted by redleg12 on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 8:25 PM

Nice use of the wire.....moving along nicely

Rounds Complete!!

"The Moral High Ground....A Great Place to Emplace Artillery."

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Thursday, October 29, 2009 3:21 AM

Thanks for the comments!

mikeym: I didn't add the other hold down pins, because after the battery gets installed, they will be completely out of view. But thanks for watching the fotos so carefully!

redleg: Yeah, we all like to see that plastic-metal combination and why pay for expensive PE? Big Smile [:D]. What color would you paint the batteries redleg? That question really bothers me. OD doesn't sound 100% right. The batteries shown in the TM even have manufacturers logo on them.

Thanks once again and have a nice day

Pawel

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 9:00 AM

Hello everybody!

I still don't know what the batteries will look like. Anyhow, there's some progress I'd like to report. First thing, I installed the one and only kit-supplied PE part. Here's what it looks like:

Quad 50 Vietnam

It was by no means a drop-in - the part had to be narrowed almost 50% - talk about cutting off two strips about 0.5 mm wide - and then bent to shape and finally adjusted in length - some 0.5 mm. At least the detail is nice.

Then I went for first coat of Olive Drab. I airbrushed Humbrol 66 which was, after drying throughly, coated with a mixture of floor finish (read more here:http://www.swannysmodels.com/TheCompleteFuture.html - nice job Swanny!) with slight addition of black acrylic paint. Here's what the parts look like:

Quad 50 Vietnam

In the drying time I started assemblying the gun elevation assemblies. I noticed that the mentioned assemblies fit extremely tight into the mount, so I scraped some plastic from the inside of the mount, so the assemblies can be rotated after installation. The result can be seen on the foto below:

Quad 50 Vietnam

I hope you all enjoyed, as always I look forward to your comments and wish you all a nice day

Pawel

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Posted by mm23t on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 4:16 PM
Pawel, I would paint the battery flat black and also the filler caps. This is the same quad I'm putting on the Jimmy I'm getting ready to build. Keep the photos coming, you'll same me some headaches.Whistling [:-^]

Medals are not "Won", they are "Earned".

Mike..

 

 

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Posted by mm23t on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 4:35 PM
Pawel, I forgot to ask you, what guage is the copper wire that you are using?

Medals are not "Won", they are "Earned".

Mike..

 

 

  • Member since
    January 2012
Posted by I make stuff on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 4:42 PM

Hi Pawel, this is looking great, nice scratched details.

Re the flat black, I agree the battery should be dark,

but from my figure modeling and study of color, I no longer use "black" and "white" in my painting, because the colors are so stark that you really don't see them very often.  Stuff we routinely think of as black isn't, like tires, hoses, etc.

I think if you use a grey-black, a floquil weathered black, or similar non "black" black, it will look more authentic.

Just my $.02

 

Bill  

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: New Jersey
Posted by redleg12 on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 6:17 PM
 Pawel wrote:

Thanks for the comments!

mikeym: I didn't add the other hold down pins, because after the battery gets installed, they will be completely out of view. But thanks for watching the fotos so carefully!

redleg: Yeah, we all like to see that plastic-metal combination and why pay for expensive PE? Big Smile [:D]. What color would you paint the batteries redleg? That question really bothers me. OD doesn't sound 100% right. The batteries shown in the TM even have manufacturers logo on them.

Thanks once again and have a nice day

Pawel

Any of the military batteries I have seen were Black. I would go with a semi gloss finish as the would not be flat.

Hope that helps

Rounds Complete!!

"The Moral High Ground....A Great Place to Emplace Artillery."

  • Member since
    August 2007
  • From: n/w indiana
Posted by some assembly required on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 9:12 PM
pawel , do not go straight black. go with the floquill weathered black. it looks very good because its a very dark grey. and BTW, im lovin your build.Thumbs Up [tup]

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 4:37 AM

Hello everybody,

thanks a lot for Your comments. Now I know what the battery pack will look like.

Mike: - glad to help. It's good to know my WIP is of use to somebody. The wire I'm using is about 0.45 mm in diameter, or AWG 25 for you Americans. Got it from an auto battery cable.

Bill, Some - I agree wholeheartedly on the black. My favourite color for this is Humbrol 32, and I intend to use it on the battery and on the tires. And thanks for the complimentsBlush [:I]

Now, back to work - please stay tuned and have a nice day

Pawel

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 5:59 AM

Hello everybody!

Thanks to your comments I was able to finish the battery pack and I also finished the power charger. Here's what they look like, I still have to decide how much to weather them before installation. Unfortunately the fotos are not so good, but anyhow:

Quad 50 Vietnam 1:35

Quad 50 Vietnam 1:35

I also put together the lifting jacks, couldn't help to use some more wireBig Smile [:D]

Quad 50 Vietnam 1:35

Another simple thing to do was the platform

Quad 50 Vietnam 1:35

And now the hard part - in the fotos it's clear the "tombstone" magazines weren't used at all. All the Quads either use standard ammo box tray, or this cool modification - cut down jerry can for ammo feed. That's what I'd like to do in my model. Got some jerry cans from the old Academy M151 with trailer kit - they have good side detail byt crappy caps, so it's no problem cutting them down. How exactly they fit the gun itself - this I have yet to work out. If anybody has any info on this one - please write me. Looking forward to other comments too, have a nice day

Pawel

 

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Posted by mm23t on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 5:03 PM
It's looking good. keep the pics coming.

Medals are not "Won", they are "Earned".

Mike..

 

 

  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: Colorado
Posted by psstoff995 on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 9:49 PM
Very nice! Had seen the figure, but didn't know you had started this over here- well done so far AWESOME detail work Bow [bow]

-Chris

US Army Infantryman

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 6:44 AM

Hello everybody!

Mike - thanks, I will!

Chris - good to hear from you again, maybe I should advertise more Big Smile [:D]

Wayne - thanks for the comment, you have a very valuable info for me! Now that trick with the beer or C-ration can almost went into the popular culture, because you can see it in the movie "Apocalypse now", the PBR crew uses it a lot. Now I have a picture to clarify what I want to build, it looks like this:

Truck mounted Quad 50 in Vietnam

Source: "Armor of the Vietnam War (1) Allied Forces" by Michael Green & Peter Sarson, Concord Publication Company 1996 Hong Cong

For some reason the quad's crew decided to replace the standard ammo box on its tray with a cut down jerry can welded to the remains of an old ammo box tray. The belt support seems to be integral to the quad. Now if somebody of the old hands could describe better what we see in the picture, that would probably help me even more. In the meantime I think I'll try to look for more pics and build something like this in 1/35. Please stay tuned and have a nice day

Pawel

PS. Today [11.11] is a Polish national independence day! Greetings from Poland to all!Make a Toast [#toast]

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: Colorado
Posted by psstoff995 on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 1:32 PM

Great picture!

And it looks like you could have gone with the bug repelent in the helmet band. But I can't quite make it out, are you going to paint Mitchell Pattern on yours?

Good luck with the jerry cans

-Chris

US Army Infantryman

  • Member since
    June 2007
Posted by squeakie on Thursday, November 12, 2009 12:04 AM
 Pawel wrote:

Hello everybody!

Mike - thanks, I will!

Chris - good to hear from you again, maybe I should advertise more Big Smile [:D]

Wayne - thanks for the comment, you have a very valuable info for me! Now that trick with the beer or C-ration can almost went into the popular culture, because you can see it in the movie "Apocalypse now", the PBR crew uses it a lot. Now I have a picture to clarify what I want to build, it looks like this:

Truck mounted Quad 50 in Vietnam

Source: "Armor of the Vietnam War (1) Allied Forces" by Michael Green & Peter Sarson, Concord Publication Company 1996 Hong Cong

For some reason the quad's crew decided to replace the standard ammo box on its tray with a cut down jerry can welded to the remains of an old ammo box tray. The belt support seems to be integral to the quad. Now if somebody of the old hands could describe better what we see in the picture, that would probably help me even more. In the meantime I think I'll try to look for more pics and build something like this in 1/35. Please stay tuned and have a nice day

Pawel

PS. Today [11.11] is a Polish national independence day! Greetings from Poland to all!Make a Toast [#toast]

the C-Rat can was used on the M60 to correct a design error in the feed ramp. Some guys also used an orange juice can as well. They have both ends opened up, and then the can is wired to the reciever so that it's a little higher than the ramp.

     Why these guys are using a cut down gas can is kind of baffeling! What they should be looking for is the large ammo can used on tanks. Also they look like they are firing the top guns most of the time, as the bottom ones have the smaller ammo cans.

gary

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Thursday, November 12, 2009 7:37 AM

Hello everybody! Comments, that's what I like!

Chris - yeah, I'll do that, the gunner will have a bug repellant on his helmet, and the helmet's cover will have camo "leaf" pattern on it.

Gary, Wayne - that's very interesting. I also have this foto to look at:

Quad 50 Vietnam

I can't be sure, but I think those guys put even four gas cans on their quad. So I thought it wasn't that uncommon, but your reaction makes me think. Now I have at least three options:

1) Regular .50 ammo box on tray - best covered by my fotos

2) Strange cut down gas cans - looks most interesting

3) Big "tankers" ammo boxes mounted directly to the quad - as indicated by the experts

What would you model if it depended on you? I'd appreciate an advice - thanks in advance and have a nice day

Pawel

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    June 2007
Posted by squeakie on Thursday, November 12, 2009 10:37 AM
 Pawel wrote:

Hello everybody! Comments, that's what I like!

Chris - yeah, I'll do that, the gunner will have a bug repellant on his helmet, and the helmet's cover will have camo "leaf" pattern on it.

Gary, Wayne - that's very interesting. I also have this foto to look at:

Quad 50 Vietnam

I can't be sure, but I think those guys put even four gas cans on their quad. So I thought it wasn't that uncommon, but your reaction makes me think. Now I have at least three options:

1) Regular .50 ammo box on tray - best covered by my fotos

2) Strange cut down gas cans - looks most interesting

3) Big "tankers" ammo boxes mounted directly to the quad - as indicated by the experts

What would you model if it depended on you? I'd appreciate an advice - thanks in advance and have a nice day

Pawel

when you retrived that photo; what did the caption have to say? Looks like the extreme west on of a place I was at once.

      In the photo you will notice the negative position of the gun carriage when it's on high ground. As for the gas cans being used to hold ammo, I'd go ahead and do it if that's what your after. I never seen anything like that, but sometimes it's what you have laying around that works best for you. One other thing I've noticed is that I've quads without the flash supressor as well as with them.

gary

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Monday, November 16, 2009 7:53 AM

Hello everybody!

I just got the 30 & 50 Caliber Ammo Boxes from AFV Club, number 35035. It will come really handy in the dio and also has 8 of the big boxes, it says they were intended for 40mm ammo. This would link the big boxes to M42 duster units, often operating close to the quads. But I already decided to go for the cut down gas cans.

I also checked the PM, and decided not to install the platform, TM says platforms were only installed on quads mounted on M16 SP's

I'm still looking for an idea on how to make/where to get the flash suppressors.

Movin on, please stay tuned and have a nice day

Pawel

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    January 2006
  • From: Grand Bay, New Brunswick ,Canada
Posted by MECHTECH on Monday, November 16, 2009 8:43 AM
Pawel, you and Redleg mention 'TM' Photos. I know I am having a teflon moment. What are you refering to?
  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Monday, November 16, 2009 8:51 AM

When talking about US equipment, TM means Technical Manual. There are different kinds of TM's, operator's guides, repair & maintenance manuals and even lubricating charts. Many of them are very interesting to a modeller. They also have a lot of fotos and drawings in them, hence TM foto. Hope it helps, have a nice day

Pawel

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Lakewood, CO
Posted by kenjitak on Monday, November 16, 2009 12:12 PM
There is another source of "in-action" footage of the quad-50 mount. It played an important part in Waterworld, mounted on an attack barge. Even as a what-if it was pretty awesome!

Ken

  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Kincheloe Michigan
Posted by Mikeym_us on Monday, November 16, 2009 1:59 PM
 Pawel wrote:

Hello everybody!

I just got the 30 & 50 Caliber Ammo Boxes from AFV Club, number 35035. It will come really handy in the dio and also has 8 of the big boxes, it says they were intended for 40mm ammo. This would link the big boxes to M42 duster units, often operating close to the quads. But I already decided to go for the cut down gas cans.

I also checked the PM, and decided not to install the platform, TM says platforms were only installed on quads mounted on M16 SP's

I'm still looking for an idea on how to make/where to get the flash suppressors.

Movin on, please stay tuned and have a nice day

Pawel

Unless the M42 Dusters were mounting 40mm Mk19 beltfed grenade launchers those boxes were for the 40mm grenades. 40mm AA gun ammo was way larger in size.

http://www.greatmodels.com/~smartcart/cgi/display.cgi?item_num=AFV35035

 

On the workbench: Dragon 1/350 scale Ticonderoga class USS BunkerHill 1/720 scale Italeri USS Harry S. Truman 1/72 scale Encore Yak-6

The 71st Tactical Fighter Squadron the only Squadron to get an Air to Air kill and an Air to Ground kill in the same week with only a F-15   http://photobucket.com/albums/v332/Mikeym_us/

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: New Jersey
Posted by redleg12 on Monday, November 16, 2009 7:15 PM

 MECHTECH wrote:
Pawel, you and Redleg mention 'TM' Photos. I know I am having a teflon moment. What are you refering to?

For the M55 Quad the Technical Manual is TM 9-1005-208-xx. If the xx = 10, that is the operators manual, =20 the direct support maintenance manual, =20P the parts manual and =35 depot maintenance manual

For most work the -10 is good to have. The -20 will give more details.

Pawel, you don't want to use the big cans. They are for 40mm belt fed grenade ammunition. The AFV set is a great set. Just use the 50 cal cans 

Rounds Complete!!

"The Moral High Ground....A Great Place to Emplace Artillery."

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