M-41 Walker Bulldog

This is a great first tank build. It is simple and has some decent detail for a basic kit. I can't beleive that you got it for $4.00. That in itself makes it a great build.

Very simplified kit that was designed when tank kits were motorized. Good overall shape to the kit and looks like a Bulldog when completed.

I built one a few years ago, plugged up the toy (motorization) holes, added a scratch built interior, etc. Nice kit that can be super with a little extra work. That was before the AFV club offering and I was satisfied with it.

Do you have references? The Squadron Bulldog book is just fine.... A real M41 to photograph is even better!

Ron.

I was thinking of just doing a strait OOB build...... I'm a car guy, i don't know much about tanks....

The build a tank in one weekend article, in this month FSM inspired me to build a tank!!


Yea 4 bucks for a mdel is pretty cool, but a Tamiya??/ I just wish i knew about the going out of Buisness sale earlier!!!!

Would it be a sin to not paint it???

I was just thinking of painting the details, but leaving the kit color alone.....

if not, what would be the proper color for this tank???

Also does anyone have any web sites that show what the tanks look like????

Tanks alot!!!!!


LOL


(sorry, just had too!!)

QUOTE: Originally posted by littlemoe Would it be a sin to not paint it??? if not, what would be the proper color for this tank???

u scored on the price of the kit, so go ahead and splurge on a rattle can of Olive Drab ( i used tamiya OD-2 on my still-unfinished M41 and it looks pretty good to me)... otherwise, ur still going to have to hit it with dullcote to get rid of the plastic sheen...
welcome to the darkside, littlemoe !
before long, u may find urself irresistibly drawn to modeling AFVs and nothing else ( u'll find out what i'm talking about soon enough, i guess!)
have fun with ur build !
frosty

QUOTE: Originally posted by littlemoe Would it be a sin to not paint it??? I was just thinking of painting the details, but leaving the kit color alone..... if not, what would be the proper color for this tank???

IMO ...... not to paint it falls under one of the deadly sins of modelling.

Tamiya's XF-62 Olive Drab acrylic would be my choice.

Sheesh, I'm sorry i'm sorry i asked if i should paint it or not.....lol

are there PE kits available for this kit????

Thanks for the warm welcome frosty.........

oooo and sherman, thanks for saving my armor soul!!!


just think, i alm,ost commited a sin!!!!

Eduard makes a set #35428.

littlemoe,

I would suggest staying away from any PE for the first few AFV models you build. Or else the first AFV model you attempt may be your last. I only say this because PE can get frustrating and I would not want you to get upset with “the dark side” on your first tank model. Having said that, if you feel up to the challenge I believe Eduard makes a PE set for that kit.

Good luck, and have fun with it
edog

Thanks edog,

I do have some experience with PE, i use them alot on my cars ...


Thanks for the warning



I just may do OOB and save the PE stuff for the sherman tank...

I think you got ripped off, so send it to me and I'll give you your 4 bucks back

Four bucks is a very good price, especially in the U.S. I saw this kit once and it looks fine for a starter tank kit.

Welcome to the darkside littlemoe...

I agree with the guys, Olive Drab will be just what the doctor prescribed for that baby.

Happy building.

Wow guys, thanks for the warm welcome into the "darkside"....

just to let ya know, i spend alot of time in the auto forum...... since i came over to check you guys out and do a tank, why dont you guys come over to the auto thread, we are starting a community build....

It would be nice to have ya's


I gets lonley in there from time to time....

Yhanbks agan guys, and gals!!!!

QUOTE: Originally posted by shermanfreak Eduard makes a set #35428.

Tossing good money after bad. While theTamiya kit is an excellent starter armor kit, the kit plus Eduard PE set costs about as much as the superb AFV Club or Skybow Walker Bulldogs that were released last year.

I've got all three Bulldog kits as well as about $80 worth of aftermarket accessories to bring the Tamiya M41 up to standards (most bought prior to the release of the AFV Club and Skybow kits). Even with all the bells and whistles added, the Tamiya kit won't be close to either of the newer Bulldogs which run around $30 a piece.

Now if you can find the old Eduard set (35040) or the Ordnance set (A-031) for around $5-8, then those are good for dressing up the Tamiya kit. These can normally be found on Ebay cheaply.

The Skybow kit (IMHO) is the better of the three. It ran around $30-35 but since Skybow went out-of-business, it is hard to find and getting expensive. The AFV Club is just as nice and includes an aluminum barrel. Great Models (www.greatmodels.com) has them on sale for $22.

Again, for an initial armor kit, the Tamiya Bulldog is a great build and I highly recommend it. But to spend $17-20 on a PE set when the newer kit runs $22 seems kind of crazy.

well i have decided that I am going to build this tank OOB,,,,, my next delima is how to spruce it up.... is every thing on this tank the same color??? air air vents and such a different color??

In the instructions, there is a choice of building 3 versions... Japan Groun Force A and B, and the U.s version....

I don't know all that much about weathering.....


I'm starting to feel overwhelmed........

Hey littlemoe, watch out I used to do only cars to and then I decided to try out a piece of armor. Now the armor out numbers the cars sitting on the shelf both built and still in the box. You might want to try and get some antidote ready for when you get bit by the armor bug.

Littlemoe,

Check out this Chaffee - It's about the same size and shape as a Walker. You can try tooling around the rest of the gallery for examples of how other people finished some American armor


http://www.missing-lynx.com/gallery/usa/jmm24.htm

Littlemoe, go back a few pages and check out the pix and text of my Tamiya M-41! I outlined the PE and resin bits that I used in that build, plus you can see 'em right there.
Hope it helps ya out!

Here's the link:

http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8681

QUOTE: The Skybow kit (IMHO) is the better of the three. It ran around $30-35 but since Skybow went out-of-business, it is hard to find and getting expensive. The AFV Club is just as nice and includes an aluminum barrel. Great Models (www.greatmodels.com) has them on sale for $22.

Rob,

Thanks for that info on the M-41. I never thought that the Skybow version is quite rare nowadays. Our local hobby shop still has some Skybow M-41 priced at about 15 US Dollars. I was wondering why it has not been sold out. If I have the money, I might as well pick one up.

J-Hulk,

Sorry, I forgot your Walker - but I wouldn't have voluntered it without your permission.

Listen to him LittleMoe - he's a famous modeler you know

QUOTE: Originally posted by Dwight Ta-ala QUOTE: The Skybow kit (IMHO) is the better of the three. It ran around $30-35 but since Skybow went out-of-business, it is hard to find and getting expensive. The AFV Club is just as nice and includes an aluminum barrel. Great Models (www.greatmodels.com) has them on sale for $22. Rob, Thanks for that info on the M-41. I never thought that the Skybow version is quite rare nowadays. Our local hobby shop still has some Skybow M-41 priced at about 15 US Dollars. I was wondering why it has not been sold out. If I have the money, I might as well pick one up.

Yes, the worry is that since AFV Club makes their own M41A3 and they are the ones that bought Skybow's molds, that Skybow's M41A3 may never see light of day again. AFV Club did issue the Skybow vinyl mantlet cover on a blister pack for around $5. Too bad about Skybow, they made some superb US softskin vehicles. They just had the bad luck to release a new, expensive kit at the same time another manufacturer releases the exact same kit.

Edit: Someone is selling a Skybow Bulldog on HyperScale's "Tank Talk" forum (http://www.hyperscale.com/). No relation to the seller though. Title is "Models for Sale (US)".

OK guys and gals,

I'm startin this tank, my first major question is, is the color indications in the instructions correct???

Is most of this tank olive drab????

seems to me i should paint everything olivedrab then go back and touch up the other colors... I this right???

Yes, if doing a US tank, the majority of the tank is OD green. Around the time the Bulldog was in use by the US, many units mixed gloss black in with the OD to make a dark semi gloss OD green color.

The Tamiya kit has empty vision blocks (periscopes). These are usually dark in color and can be filled in with Elmer's white glue or glue a piece of clear plastic from a blister pack you may have around the house. Paint a dark blue color.

Other items on the tank like tools could be OD or sometimes they are left with wooden handles. Tow cables are normally steel/black in color. Rubber road wheel rims are black as well. The .50 cal machine gun would be gun metal color.

Great advice from the Major!
If you look at my M-41, you can see that the crew has taken the driver's vision blocks out for a quick cleaning (at least that's what I tell everyone!).

A quick note about Skybow: I talked to the president of AFV Club at the Shizuoka Hobby Show last May, and at that time they were working with Skybow to distribute products like the aforementioned mantlet cover, but they were not taking over Skybow's molds or absorbing Skybow in any way. In fact, Skybow appears to be alive and well as far as distribution goes here in Japan, with kits all over the place.
It's hard to get the true picture of the Hong Kong / Taiwan / China model manufacturer situation, but as far as AFV Club and Skybow goes, I think that's how it stands right now.

Back to what Major Rob said, I always thought US armor in the 50's and 60's looked to be a much darker color than the OD I see offered by the major manufacturers. Adding some black sounds like a good idea!

By the way, I ain't famous!
Yet...

well, in case anyone is interested, i started painting, and should startputtin togethjer by tomorrow.... picswill follow....

keep in mind this is my first armor.....

Littlemoe,

That was a great buy, and since that was also my first armor kit I can tell you that it was easy, satisfactory, and all around good looking, it has the right amount of details to look nice but not enough to make you wonder what you're doing building armor... Keep on rocking

would it be wrong to do a black wash to bring out thr recessed areas??

Most armour builders do a wash of some form or another, black included.