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Magava

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  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Thursday, January 22, 2015 3:43 PM

Thanks, G.

Mailman brought a couple of boxes of goodies today....    whee!

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  • Member since
    January 2015
  • From: Tumwater, WA.
Posted by M. Brindos on Thursday, January 22, 2015 3:37 PM

Fascinating idea and superb execution so far. I'll be keeping an eye on this build. :)

- Mike Brindos "Lost Boy"

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 11:10 AM

Lookin' sharp!

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 10:04 AM

A wee update: commander's and loader's periscopes/vision devices, and tail lights are done.

I have an AFV Club RWS on the way, should be interesting to see if I can fit it on here and still have it be fully functional.

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  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Tuesday, January 20, 2015 1:34 PM

Thank you, Karl.

Having this much fun on a "what-if" is making my feel guilty....

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  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by the doog on Tuesday, January 20, 2015 1:23 PM

That's sharp work!!!

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Tuesday, January 20, 2015 12:28 PM

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  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Thursday, January 15, 2015 1:06 PM

Cool! Prague has been on our list of places to go, maybe next year.

I'm having so much fun with this one, it'll probably go pretty fast. Plus, I have everything on hand, except for the droid, which is on the way, and the 120mm gun tube, also on the way.

I'm not exactly being slowed down by research either.....   :)

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  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by the doog on Thursday, January 15, 2015 12:44 PM

Ah yes, Russ! Thanks!

The CzR was great! A sold-out show, a wild crowd. Wasn't too thrilled about the pollution of Ostrava, but not my power to do anything about that.

I'll be looking in to se what you do with this! :)

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Posted by RBaer on Thursday, January 15, 2015 11:31 AM

"Russ"....

Thanks, wanted to do something that looked "right". That's what struck me about the pic I saw that started all this, it just looked "right".  Thing is, it's been a while since I saw the pic, and I can't for the life of me remember if it  was a Merk1 or -2 turret, or maybe a Merk3 turret, which is much more slab-sided, without the added armor anyway.  In all probability, if I'd had the Academy Merk3 in the stash, I probably would have used it's turret instead, but since this is an out-of-the-stash build (mostly), Merk2 it is. And, by the time I get done adding all the goodies and such on this turret, it'll be considerable bulkier, which should help with aesthetics considerably.

'Preciate the comments, how's the Czech Republic?

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  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by the doog on Thursday, January 15, 2015 10:40 AM

R---first of all, remind me---is it "Robert"? I'm awful with remembering names, I apologize!

Anyway, I think you're 100% correct about the"what if" possibility. I think they could easily put turrets on old hulls if they had to. And I don't know the technical aspects of that gun, but hey, why not? It's a fantasy tank after all, and you should have fun with it!

The "artistic lines" are my proclivity, I'll admit. I was wondering how the sleek "Sci-Fi" turret would go along with the older hull. It seems like it dresses it up enough without making it too "Jetsons". :) Thanks for the photo!

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Thursday, January 15, 2015 10:04 AM

Wow that's just awesome! And frankly doesn't seem any more crazy to me than a Sherman with a 105!

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Fort Knox
Posted by Rob Gronovius on Thursday, January 15, 2015 9:36 AM

looks good, there's probably enough reasonable upgrades there to make this a fantasy kit that probably could pass for a real vehicle.

  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by the doog on Thursday, January 15, 2015 8:49 AM

Cool, but is it "Panzer 46" enough? Confused (You'll laugh if you get the reference..!)

Well it's certainly different..man, the Israeli's come up with some BEE-zarre stuff for sure! I can't decide if the lines work, artistically, though because you haven't done a full-body shot yet. Can you get one up? Smile

Aside from that, the work you're doing on it is certainly commendable and very well-executed! Yes I too am looking forward to seeing the end result!

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: On my kitchen counter top somewhere in central North Carolina.
Posted by disastermaster on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 11:39 PM

Mannn.....http://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/dreamyeyesf.gif this really looks interesting.

I'm looking forward to seeing this right through to completion.

 https://i.imgur.com/LjRRaV1.png

 

 

 
  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: Oromocto, Canada
Posted by Gun Tech on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 8:55 PM

I LOVE IT!!!!!      

Nice kit-bashing and scratch!  I am really looking forward to see the final product!

Yes 

Jean-Michel    "Arte et Marte"

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Dripping Springs, TX, USA
Magava
Posted by RBaer on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 2:43 PM

A what?

Well, I saw a  CG pic somewhere, that I since can't find, of a Magach hull with a Merkava turret, and thought it looked really cool, and totally do-able. So when the opportunity to do something for a "Fantasy MBT" on another forum came up, I dragged out all the spare M60 and Merkava bits I had in the stash, which turned out to be quite a bit, and went to work.

I started with an Italeri hull, adding and changing until I got something that is still recognizable as an M60, but different enough to be, well, "different". Engine access doors were modded to look more like M1 doors using pieces from a Trump M1 and sheet stock.

I wanted side skirts, more like the modular stuff on Merk4 LIC's, so I fabbed up some using sheet stock and hangers from Academy's Merk2

Anything the IDF fields since the early 80's has belly armor, so....

Wanting to keep this in the realm of possibility but not have it look like just a Merk turret stuck on an M60 hull, I decided to use the road wheels from the Academy Merk2, but as all-steel wheels. Since these old Academy kits used a horrible rubber tire that didn't take paint and wasn't even the whole width of the wheel, trimming off the "tire" portion of the wheel was quick. I then added some lightening holes, once again to get a slightly different look.

Armored side-loading air cleaners were knocked out,

And some simple bow armor on the upper glacis was added:

Side skirt mounts, similar to the Magach6B Gal-batash, were made up from styrene stock.....

... angle and slices of hex rod for bolt heads. In fact, there's a boat-load of bolt heads made the same way all over this thing.

Turret roof armor was added, trying to look like the added side armor on the Merk2:

I'm now to the point where I can start working on the turret secondary armament, cupolas, vision devices, etc. Plans are to use something like a CROWS system for the T/C, with a shielded MG for the loader, ala M1 TUSK.I also have an Academy Merk3 120mm gun tube on the way, donated by another modeler.

Tracks will be Friul Merk1, and for color I'll probably use something on the dark side of gray/green, but I've got a while to go before I have to make that decision.

Forgive the massively long post, I've been stupid busy at work, and I've also been terribly lax in not keeping up with what's going on over here. I do have to say, however, that building something conjectural like this is very refreshing- I really don't have to concern myself with accuracy, only plausibility.

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