I'm a Movie Star Group Build

[barkingdigger]

Well here’s my M41 finished! It’s a new record for me - a month and a half from start to completion. (It sat for a few days waiting for its time in front of the camera…)

I went with a fairly clean look as befits a tank borrowed for a single episode, so only a little light weathering. The white mufflers are based on the episode - I can only assume they were coated in some kind of white asbestos paint for heat-protection. The lower hull sides are in OD as I assumed they wouldn’t bother to repaint anything below the fenders, but the lower hull front and rear are camo’d grey. (And the wheels are grey too because I got carried away!)

I’m most proud of the muzzle brake, which was a sheet-metal addition for the filming. There’s a chase scene at the end with another tank where the barrel strikes and the “muzzle brake” comes loose!

The “Hell Machine” in its glory!:

[phantom_phanatic]

Congratulations on finishing. It actually looks really good in the grey cammo!

[barkingdigger]

Thanks! It certainly stands out in my green motor pool…

[V2Phantom]

Your M41 looks great! With the camo scheme and markings, it looks just enough different from a bog standard M41 to get some people scratching their heads.

[Mrclark7]

watched that two nights ago. well, for the second time.

[flatfour]

Did Bryan Ferry ever play Bond…?

[petbat]

I think they used the inflatable pilot from Flying High as a muse Nicholas:

[petbat]

Fantastic job Tom. Nailed that 60’s look down to the last rivet. The old Tamiya dog came out very well.

Love all the attention to detail.

[md72]

Well, the dress rehearsal went OK. On the table at the Seattle Museum of Flight Model Mania 2023.

We had a whole set of tables dedicated to Black History Month. I got to contribute this one, well before it was really finished. Still got the tanks and some fiddly bits to go. Hudner’s Corsair is still on the bench receiving extensive seam filling surgery.

[petbat]

Love a model with some real history behind it Mark. Excellent finish on that one.

But I think you forgot to iron the wing flat! (poor joke from an armour modeller )

[md72]

Thanks, the finish looks a lot better in the photo than to the naked eye. But it went on display Friday night and only came out of the paint shop on Tuesday and the last fiddly bit went on Friday morning. I used up a large part of my remaining Model Master Glossy Sea Blue.

[Tank_1812]

Not giving on the figures cause I still plan to do them but switching to this model. Diamonds are forever Mach 1. My dad is a Sean Connery 007 and Mach 1 fan. I plan for this to be a Christmas gift for him.

[md72]

So, will you display it speeding down the alley on its left wheels, or out of the alley on its right wheels?

[Dixon66]

Close, left side up first and right side up on the way out.

[petbat]

Yes, good old continuity errors…

[phantom_phanatic]

Got the fuselage halves together today. Needed some persuasion as it kept waiting to pull apart.

[SGTJKJ]

Great build, Tom! Has that perfect “post WWII tank dressed to be WWII German panzer” feel.

[petbat]

Looking good Stephen. I am interested to see how the fit of the wing section up to the rear tail plane goes.

[phantom_phanatic]

Thanks Peter.
I did do a dry fit earlier and I think it does need a trim along the inside of the fuselage to get it to fit flush. I’ll have a proper look at it tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully it’s nothing too major.
I still can’t believe how small this aeroplane is. I’ve seen Gnats up close, but putting this alongside a Hurricane at the same scale and you get a better idea of its size!

[phantom_phanatic]

As I suspected, some trimming was needed to get the wing to fit flush.

First here under the wings.

And the top of the intake trunking.

Also this blade antenna on the bottom needs trimming off.