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But there was no such thing, right? Well, there surely could have been. I got one of "those ideas" the other day, staring at the stack if kits I came out of a raffle with. I was staring at the Trumpeter Type 87 SPAAG, even peeked in the box and thought "nice kit, no interest", this one:IMG_2503 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
until I glanced at a pic of the Marksman turret on something, and realized whoever makes that thing (Vickers) pimped it to everybody and their uncle, and of course I thought, why not on a Merkava hull? Well, I just happen to have a couple of the old Tamiya Merk 1 kits and pieces of the Academy Merk 2 kit, so after a couple of hours I had a lower hull together. I also have a set of Friuls from a really old build that looked good on it. The solution for the "problem" of mounting the Type 87 turret on the Merk hull was actually easy: I took a spare Merk 1 turret lower half and after tracing the smaller hole for the Type 87 turret, cut it out. Two grooves filed into it for the locking tabs and I had that part done. I then trimmed the turret base to just outboard of the turret ring, flipped it over and inserted into the Merk upper hull and glued it in. That gave the the slight rise I needed and with some weld beads and bolt heads will actually look "real".
Just sitting there:
IMG_2502 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I know what-ifs are not everyones cup of tea, but I get a real kick out of doing something that would have actually worked and makes people scratch their heads too.
Apprentice rivet counter.
Howdy Russ!
I'm not a big fan of what-ifs myself - life has so many interesting things to model when you look into it - but this one looks pretty interesting and got me wondering what you are going to do with it - plus I just like to see you at work :-) If I had a wish here, I'd like it to have some bar armor :-) Good luck with your build and have a nice day
Paweł
PS. We need some cool sounding Hebrew name for it - anybody speak Hebrew here on the forums?
All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!
www.vietnam.net.pl
Now that's interesting and totally different!!!
I like Pawel's idea- what's the Hebrew term for 'fly-swatter'???
"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen
Or let's just call it Hutzpah :-)
I know what that means Pawel, that's funny right there.
Bar armor? My eyes hurt already, but good idea.....
Count me in with the not-a-fan-of-what-ifs club, but your builds are always fascinating, so I'm looking forward to what you come up with here.
Pull up a chair and grab the poopcorn.
Today was just doing detail stuff to the hull, bringing the old Tamiya kit closer to modern standards, nothing exciting. I'm up in KC for a while, should have some more bench time late this month. In the meantime, Merry Christmas y'all.
I'm a fan of "what-ifs" and I'm a fan of your work, Russ.
Not only does this seem plausible, but it looks like a " why wasn't it?"
I'll definitely be lurking.
- Mike Brindos "Lost Boy"
Lurkers welcome!
So I'm back in town and work is slow again, lucky me. Hull detailing is nearly done, I think anti-slip is next, and I've started building the turret: lots of tiny parts and a fair amount of flash but good detail. Should bulk up nicely with the guns and radar.
IMG_2566 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_2567 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I added some imagined detail to what would have to be a large turret ring adaptor, given the dimensional difference between the two turrets and hulls for that matter.
IMG_2568 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I also added the "engineering" bosses to the front of the hull, ala Merk 2, figuring the IDF would have done the same, and for visual interest.
Looks pretty good, but one point of order. The turret is a German Flakpanzer Gepard turret, not British Marksman. They are similar, but not the same.
M. Brindos I'm a fan of "what-ifs" and I'm a fan of your work, Russ. Not only does this seem plausible, but it looks like a " why wasn't it?"
That is because the SPAAG was proven ineffective and most were retired by the early '90s. They couldn't keep up with and engage fast moving jets and the latest generation of faster helicopters. Most army's ADA moved to missiles over guns in the mid-'90s
Gino P. Quintiliani - Field Artillery - The KING of BATTLE!!!
Check out my Gallery: https://app.photobucket.com/u/HeavyArty
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell
Might not be the most practical thing but it's really cool looking! Like how she's coming!
Gino: I only mentioned the Marksman turret in the buildup to my reasoning. I'm using the Japanese Type 87 turret, but I did snag a Takom Chieftain Marksman, more on that later.
Given the fact that the IDF used the M163 in a variety of roles, I figured I had some "justification" for this, if that's the right word. Anyway, it's fun to build, and a welcome relief after literally counting rivets (or bolt heads) on my last build. I keep telling myself I could build one of the car kits in the stash for the same reason, but gloss paint gives me the creeps.
I've got the one gun nearly finished, other just the basics, and the radar assemblies. It's starting to look kind of neat.....
IMG_2577 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_2576 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_2575 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Guns and radar array are both movable, very sci-fi looking. I think once it's painted it will be hard to tell it's a "what-if".
Yeah, with the sleek Mekava hull she does have a very SF looking vibe going on.
Many years ago (at least 20), I put the Sgt York turret on an M1 Abrams hull and called it a what if Sgt. Major York.
I put an AMX 13 turret on an M4... real thing.
BC
Modeling is an excuse to buy books.
I did a Merkava 2 turret on an M60 hull a while ago, kind of fun, still have stuff to do a Merk 3 turret on one, in the pipeline now. And then there's the Takom Marksman turret I have.....
I almost had an aw, slip moment.... I was just starting to spray the hull when it hit me: No anti-slip! So an hour or so with some Mig anti slip paste and voila!
IMG_2618 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I did the turret horozontyal surfaces too, next pics will be with the base coat on the a wash.
Oh cool!
Just needs a few detail bits added and some detail painting, really starting to look like a "real thing".....
IMG_2625 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_2622 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_2620 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_2623 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Tow cables are a must, just haven't figured out where to stow them, but that's about it. I would have loved to have a bunch of stowage on it but there's just no place to hang anything, so it's nekkid.
The Hutzpah is really comin' along very nice!
Can you write what basic colour you are using for your IDF vehicles?
Good luck with the last details and have a nice day
That is really cool, if I were a jet jokey my pucker would be puckered. Ya never know someday they may actually produce the real thing.
we're modelers it's what we do
Looks awesome! I'm digging the dry dusty look, looks like a real desert warrior.
Thanks all.
Pawel, I use Krylon or Rustoleum rattle cans, some variant on ten or khaki for my IDF models, sold as "camo" colors. I think they were originally marketed to hunters but the available colors are pretty useful in modeling. They go on thin, dry quickly and dead flat and are tough, perfect for standing up to weathering. They cost about $6/can and I can spray several models with one can.
OK, Russ, thanks for the info... One more question, if I may - how do you go about applying markings given you have that flat finish? Some decals would silver really bad on something like that.
Thanks in advance for the info, have a nice day
Pawel- I just trim all the visible clear backing off and use Walther's setting solution to make them conform. I finish with a quick shot of clear flat enamel, then on to weathering.
If I'm using decals that I can't trim, I'll apply localized clear gloss, then the decals, Walther's and flat.
Calling it done:
IMG_2629 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_2632 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_2633 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_2634 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_2635 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Next!
That is one cool, nasty looking track! Great job!
Thanks! It looks good in the case, the Slammer2 on one side of it, a "real" Merk3 on the other.
That turned out great! Fantastic job Russ!!!
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