well a small update here.

i found something to use as a barrell for the big single gun: my little brother got an airsoft BB Gun for christmas and broke it...but the metal barrel is plenty long enough to be trimmed to fit and the inside diameter is approximatley 220mm in scale... a bit more than originally planned but a bigger gun is never a problem lol

i got one of the Verlinden .50 cals built so i could start the TUSK style turrets for the top of the main turret. this is the first PE work i've had to do where you actually have to fold the brass, not just glue on a screen. not to toot my own horn but i think i did pretty well for a first shot.

 here is a shot of the turret progress after about a half hour of work (excluding the work time on the MG)

 this turret (built on the M1A2 commanders hatch) will be on the single gun main turret with an identical one over what would normally be the loaders hatch on an unmodified turret. i am going to build two more with the kit mgs to go on the twin gun main turret as well. these TUSK turrets will have full sidewalls, more like the turrets on top of the HUMVEEs and will also have the big angled plate on the front. heres some mock-up installation pics.

 the bullet proof glass will have mounting hardware (plate frame with bolts) and weld seams added. more to come soon!

Oh, nice job on the PE for the MG, I always make a mess of small parts like that.

And nice catch on the BB gun barrel

just an update to anybody who is still following this ungodly slow build, i should be able to get back to building in a week or two, with this project on the top of my list. its been nice and warm up here (usually we are still worries about getting snow flurries this time of year lol) so i can start working in the garage of my new residence at a workbench. gonna feel good to get my hands covered in paint and glue again whilst getting a headach from the smell of melting plastic at the hands of the cutting wheel......ahh the joys of modeling

regards, Logan.

Logan,

Looking forward to seeing more work on this beast

Cliff

Ok, well after a (much too long) break, i have finally started to get work underway again on this monster. i have the rough work done on the hull (pics soon) and the glue is drying. i do, however, have a bit of a problem: while i was doing work on the turret, i had to hack much more than i had planned from the "type b turret" so i am going to have to make just 1 turret for the tank, im thinking the big, single gun instead of the twin 120's because a bigger tank with the same size gun (ok, two of the same sized guns) would kinda defy the purpose of a super heavy than right? thoughts?

I like the "one big gun" approach myself.

im thinking thats probably what im going to do, makes more sense to go through all that work for a much bigger bang lol

ya know, i was thinking the other day: the germans made the first assault rifle, first jet fighter, had plans for the first trans-continental bomber, and also made the first 200+ ton tank...... all but one of those ideas have caught on and become a mainstay of modern military technology..... now we play the waiting game

Okie doke, got a little work done.

So, here is the basic, final layout. the turret will house the single 220mm main gun, tracks will be 3 tread plates wide (i think i mentioned that waaaaay back), two fully enclosed "TUSK" style .50 turrets on top, and a midified mine plow on the front. as you can kind of tell, i got the basic top of the hull in place, over the tracks and the slightly sloping plate on the front glued in place.

i filled the gap with styrene chunks dissolved in the pink-label Testors styrene cement, and the gap between the glacis plate and sloping upper hull peice will be filled somehow.... either by the dissolved styrene method and sanding or just shims.... i will get to it soon, as well as the sink mark on the plow piece in the center lol.

during some "test fitting" runs, i realise that the gap between the turret and hull (with the height i wanted the turret at) would be a terrible shot trap. so, as i was not happy with the "wavy" lines on the turret bottom of the turret due to the space between the original turret front and rear pieces, as well as unsatisfied with the thinness of the armor, i decided to make some new, taller, and thicker, turret walls.....

turret before new side armor... (also notice i actualy have a roof over the back of it now lol)

and after i made some new armor out of .080'' (i believe thats about 3 scale inches) Styrene plate. the bottom edges are straight-lined like the original Abrams turret now. the difference doesent look like much here, but.....

its a lil easier to see here lol. the project is starting to pick up speed.... albeit a bit slow, but hey, progress is progress lol. im in the process of making the other armor for the left side of the turret, and getting primer down (painful task since im still in the stone age and dont have an airbrush lol) more pics to come soon:) sorry fot the slow pace, have alot goin on pullin me away from the bench.

that mine plow really looks mean when you look at it from above... or from head on lol.

Very nice.  I love the concept and the inspiration that you have provided.

Keep up the good work.

Kim

Thanks Kim!

BTW, im trying to think of ideas for paint schemes....... kind of drawing a blank on that one. im reeeeeeeally trying to steer away from the two or three tone black/brown/OD of the NATO style paint job and not really sold on the Desert Tan one either. i was thinking something alont two or three tone hard edged urban camo... almost like WWII ship camo. any other ideas would be greatly appreciated!

MMMM Measure 32 would be sweet!  It has a dark grey, white and black.  Or even the Measure 22 like what was on the Alabama and Washington.  Here is a link if you want to look at the various measures.

www.shipcamouflage.com/warship_camouflage.htm

Kim

Measure 32/3d would look pretty good.... although just much smaller scale lol. i have seen something similar to that on what was (i think) a british Challenger tank, but it was white/madium grey/ and a tannish grey. i was thinking of doing it in a WWII german panzer style, except a much lighter grey than the dark panzer hide..... im definetly keeping that measure 32 in mind though. and a winter camo scheme also still nags at me... covering the tracks in mud would be a big help in finishing, painting all those track pads black and the connectors and guidehors a different color is going to take FOREVER lol.