M55 Quad 50 Vietnam - Diorama completed!!!

She looks great Pawel!  You can never have enough M2 machine guns!

Brian

New Hampshire

You can never have enough M2 machine guns!

'Speshly when it's getting dark, eh?

Glad you like it, thanks a lot for the comment Brian, and have a nice day

Pawel

Hello everybody!

Maybe it could be interesting for you, I completed the emplacement for my Quad 50. Here's the teaser foto:

more pics here in the dioramas forum:

/forums/t/120371.aspx?PageIndex=6

Thanks for looking, have a nice day

Pawel

Pawel

Hello Adam!

Thanks a lot for your comment. Oh, it's going to be emplaced soon.

By the way, let me summarize the changes that have to be considered, when building this Quad, especially for Vietnam:

• The ammo chests (tombstones) have to be discarded, some other ammo containers have to be used. Either regular M2 ammo trays plus boxes, or something more exotic
• The gunner is dressed for WWII. That would have to be changed for Vietnam
• The guns would in most cases have the flash suppressors fitted
• The gunners platform should be omitted for quads mounted outside of M16s and M17s (also true for WWII)
• Most quads had the voltmeter on the junction box (above the battery) deleted and a hydrometer case (elongated vertical box, approx. the size of a flashlight) added. Also true for WWII.
• I have not seen a foto of a Vietnam quad 50 with its sight in place. I have to assume they were not particularily useful for firing on ground targets
• Many quads in Vietnam (if not all) had the power chargers changed to a completely different type (A Lycoming, according to Gary aka squeakie - thanks a lot for the info, Gary). I'd do this modification if I only had more reference
• If shown emplaced with the jacks extended, the mounting of the rear jacks should be changed, so the jacks don't interfere with the gunners shield
• One minor detail missing from the kit, but easily added, is the miscellaneous wiring (batteries, power charger, guns, trailer)

Thanks for reading, have a nice day

Pawel

* actually it was common to see the stateside heavier uniforms well into 1968. But remember the name tag was changed a littler earlier from the white to either a black background or O.D. (don't remember) in 1967. I do remember seeing the white background every once in awhile back in the rear. There were two styles of shirts worn in the states. One had button cuffs and the other didn't. Most everybody went over seas with at least one pair of leather boots during the era that I was over there. And somewhere in the middle of 1968 they did two emblem changes for chevrons. The first was that all were black (this might have taken place in late 1967), and of course there was the e-2 and PFC changes. And even then it was common to see men with gold and silver bars as well as regular stripes. But most of the time enlisted men wore no rankings on their uniforms. Only NCO's and Officers were big on that stuff (guess it was an ego thing). Yet in the bush the only folks wearing rank were Officers, and then not always.

* that little generator looks sorta like the motor in a Cessna airplane, but of course smaller. They were very common, and if you DX'd a generator that's what you normally were given.

* you do nice work!

gary

Gary, thanks a lot for your comments. As I already wrote in the dio thread I owe you for this one, without your help I would at least have a lot of trouble starting this. The dio started rolling just after you sent me the bunker dimensions. Maybe someday I'll build another one, with sheet metal roof, like you wrote me... Once again, my special thanks to you, and 'till next one!

Pawel

Pawel

Gary, thanks a lot for your comments. As I already wrote in the dio thread I owe you for this one, without your help I would at least have a lot of trouble starting this. The dio started rolling just after you sent me the bunker dimensions. Maybe someday I'll build another one, with sheet metal roof, like you wrote me... Once again, my special thanks to you, and 'till next one!

Pawel

that's still the best concrete job I've ever seen anybody do on any board. The gun just looks right!

gary

Looks great Pawel.  Now stop teasing us!

Stunning work sir!  I have to agree with others, that concrete work is simply amazing. Now where are the rest of the photos?

Cheers

Dave

Nice....very nice....love the mermite can....squeakie gave you the straight on the uniforms.

Looking good

Rounds Complete!! 

Gennulmen, you're just too kind! Thanks a lot for your comments!

Marc, Dave - I'd just hate to tease you! As I wrote previously, I'd like to direct your kind attention to the dio thread here: /forums/t/120371.aspx?PageIndex=6 where all the fotos can be seen.

Mike - good to hear from you again! I just love to work with pros!

Thanks again and have a nice day

Pawel

Pawel,

Thank you for the thread.  I missed that one somehow.  Must have been pre-coffee this am.

CHeers

Dave